Muslim military personnel have served in all branches of theUnited States Armed Forces and in every majorarmed conflict to which the United States has been involved, including theWar of 1812,[1] theAmerican Civil War,World War I,World War II, theVietnam War,[2] and others. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, as of 2015 there were currently 5,896 known Muslim Americans serving in the armed forces.[3]
A number of Muslim American servicemen have gained fame due to their military service, and many have receivedawards and decorations for distinguished service, valor, or heroism.
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Muslims fought and died in bothWorld War II and theVietnam War. Some Muslim Americans served in World War II inNorth Africa,Europe, andAsia.[4] Additionally, at least 12 Muslims are known to have died in theVietnam War.[4] Before the abolition of slavery in America, many African Muslim slaves fought for theUnion.
An African slave by the name ofBilali Muhammad defendedGeorgia'sSapelo Island from British attack during theWar of 1812. His group consisted of 80 slaves who were mostly Muslim and were armed with muskets.[5]
291 Muslims are known to have fought during theCivil War.[2] Some sources claim that the highest-rankingMuslim officer was Captain Moses Osman, the son of Robert and Catherine Osman.[2] However, Moses Osman was confirmed in the Zion German Lutheran Church in 1843 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.[6][7]
Nicholas Said, a Nigerian immigrant who was born a Muslim before converting to Christianity in 1855, enlisted in the 55th Massachusetts Colored Regiment of theUnited States Army and rose to the rank of sergeant.[8] Another Muslim soldier from the Civil War was Max Hassan, an African who worked for the military as a porter.[9]
Abdullah Igram, a Muslim-American World War II veteran, campaigned for Islam to be an option in servicemembers' religious identification. His organization provided additional tags that soldiers were permitted to wear starting in 1953, and by thendog tags included codes for 'other' and 'prefer not to say'. By the Vietnam War, personnel could use a wide list of spelled-out religious names.[10]
According to theDepartment of Homeland Security, a total of 6,024 Muslim-American troops served in overseas deployments in the ten years following 9/11, with 14 fatalities reported in Iraq. As of December 2015, there were approximately 5,897 active Muslim members of the US military, accounting for roughly 0.45% of total personnel. Because of military policies, practicing Muslim service members are required to shave off their beards and other facial hair and often face difficulties obtaining food that meets their dietary requirements.[11] The involvement of Muslim Americans in the military received increased public attention following events such as theSeptember 11 attacks, the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, and Khizr Khan's 2016Democratic National Convention speech.[12]
In 2023, Muslim service members stationed atPrince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia were granted leave to attend theHajj while on deployment.[13]
Humayun Khan was a Pakistani-American born in theUnited Arab Emirates on September 9, 1976, to Pakistani parents. After graduating from theUniversity of Virginia in 2000, he joined the U.S. Army's 201st Forward Support Battalion, 1st Infantry Division. Throughout his four years of service, he rose in ranks to become an officer in the U.S. army before being killed by a car bomb on June 8, 2004, saving the lives of his fellow soldiers.[14] PresidentDonald Trump’s temporary immigration ban based on a list of terror-linked countries (created under the Obama administration) brought Khan's parents,Khizr and Ghazala Khan, into the public spotlight as they addressed Trump at the2016 Democratic National Convention. Speaking out to defend their son and others who died in the American military, they created an "unexpected and potentially pivotal flash point in the general election".[9]
Colonel Douglas Burpee is a retiredU.S. Marine, having flownhelicopters for 27 years. Burpee was born anEpiscopalian but converted toIslam when he was 19 in the late 1970s while attending theUniversity of Southern California.[15] He was accepted into theOfficer Candidates' School inQuantico, VA, after graduation. At the end of his service, Burpee was the highest-ranking Muslim in theU.S. Marine Corps.[15]
Corporal Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan was a Corporal in the US Army's 1st battalionStryker Brigade Combat Team, having enlisted in 2005 and rising up the ranks. Khan was deployed to Iraq and in August 2007 was killed inBaqubah a town outside of Baghdad. He was killed in the process of clearing a house and posthumously awarded his rank and both theBronze Star Medal andPurple Heart. He is buried atArlington National Cemetery.[16]
Brigadier General Cindy Saladin-Muhammad became the first Muslim General Officer to serve in the U.S. military on July 3, 2024. Currently she is one of the highest-ranking Muslims serving in the U.S. military. In April 2024, BG Saladin-Muhammad assumed the role of Deputy Commanding General of the 807th Medical Command.
Brigadier GeneralShariful M. Khan became the firstBangladeshi-American to be a general in the U.S. military on June 30, 2025, later taking his oath on August 20, 2025.[17] He was nominated for promotion alongside 54 other officers by President Trump, as stated by theDepartment of Defense on June 13, 2025.[18] Khan serves as the director of staff for the Golden Dome for America at thePentagon.[19]
TheArmy Chief of Chaplains requested on December 14, 1993, that an insignia be made to symbolize Muslim chaplains, and on January 8, 1994, a crescent-shaped design was produced.[20]
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