Second Lieutenant Anmol Narang, a second generation immigrant born and raised in Roswell, Georgia, is the first Sikh observer to the academy, which means that she follows religious practices, including Kesh, which calls for allowing her hair to grow naturally without cutting it.
"It's an incredible feeling," Narang told CNN. "It is a humiliating experience, I have never worked harder for anything in my life. Being a Sikh woman is a very important part of my identity and if my experience can play a small role in being an inspiration for others, whatever career field, it will be wonderful. "
While other Sikhs have graduated from the academy, the Sikh Coalition confirmed to CNN that Narang is the first Sikh observer to graduate from West Point.
The 23-year-old graduate hopes her efforts to represent her religion and her community will encourage Americans to learn more about the Sikh faith, the fifth largest religion in the world.
Narang said she decided to apply to West Point to study nuclear engineering and pursue a career in air defense systems after visiting the Pearl Harbor National Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii.
In 2017, eight years after the start of the Sikh Coalition's campaign to end the U.S. military's ban on certain religious practices restricting Sikh members, the military updated its rules governing religious freedoms .
"I am extremely proud of (second lieutenant) Narang to have achieved his goal and in doing so to have crossed a barrier for any American Sikh who wishes to serve," said US Army Captain Simratpal Singh in a statement. "The wider acceptance of Sikh soldiers in all branches of service, as well as in senior leadership positions such as West Point, will continue to benefit not only the rights of persons belonging to religious minorities, but also the strength and diversity of the US military. "
The graduates separated socially 6 feet from each other across the parade ground to meet the public health requirements of Covid-19 instead of gathering at Michie Stadium, the traditional venue for the ceremony. Family and friends were not allowed to attend the ceremony but could watch it online.
"This leading military academy produces only the best of the best - the strongest of the strong - and the bravest of the brave. West Point is a universal symbol of gallantry, loyalty, dedication, discipline and American skill, "said Trump his address, reading from a teleprompter.
"To the 1107 who are today the most recent officers of the most exceptional army to have taken the battlefield, I am here to salute America. Thank you for having responded to the call of your nation", he added.
Narang will complete his basic officer leadership course at Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma. She will then go on her first posting to Okinawa, Japan, in January 2021.
Zachary Cohen and Caroline Kelly of CNN contributed to this report.
