Updated?

I don't like religious exceptions. I believe that if you voluntarily join the military you should follow all the regulations and not ask for special exemptions. However, since the military opened this can of worms and allow certain religions to wear turbans and beards, they should allow all religions to follow their grooming practices. Otherwise it is discrimination. Bottom line: if the military is going to allow Muslims to wear beards then they should allow Nazarites to not cut their hair. You can't pick and choose which religions get granted exceptions.

I have one Soldier in my unit that has one and I've seen another here on post. One is a Sikh and the other a Pagan. The Sikh I understand because that's an article of his faith. He has to choose to either forego his faith or his military service. His religion requires that he wear a beard. The other, his religion recommends that he wear a beard. His beard isn't an article of faith, he doesn't have to choose between his faith and the military. The exemption was created to allow people to serve who would have otherwise been prevented from service by their faiths, and they still have to shave if needed for the mission. The first type are routinely approved, the second one, less often.

I wouldn't read too much into the time it has taken. Religious shaving exemptions are a process that is relatively new and infrequent. Odds are your waiver is not the priority for any of the people you're dealing with. My experience with SJAs has been that they move entirely on their own timeline; I have never seen them make a suspense date, regardless of how much cushion is built into the timeline just for legal review. Best of luck to you.