Five Sikhs have been granted approval to serve in the US Army with their religious insignia intact. <br/><br/>This comes days after the army issued a new regulation under which servicemen who wear turbans, hijabs or beards can be enrolled in the military. This is the largest induction of Sikhs into the US armed forces after the Department of Defense banned visible articles of faith in 1981.<br/>'<br/>The new rules made public on January 4, eliminate bureaucratic hurdles that had previously discriminated against Sikhs.<br/><br/>The new set of rules, issued by Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning, allows religious accommodations to be approved at the brigade-level. Previously it was at the level of Secretary.'<br/>'<br/>According to Sikh Coalition, the religious accommodations bring the new total to at least 14 Sikh American soldiers now serving with their religious articles of faith in the US Army.'<br/><br/>The Sikh Coalition and McDermott Will & Emery have led advocacy efforts to end religious discrimination in the US military since 2009.