Tattoos That Are Allowed Under Army Rules
Generally, the Armys tattoo policy allows most tattoos but forbids most of those that would be visible in uniform.
The Army regulations do, however, allow one ring tattoo on each hand, although it must not extend beyond where a ring naturally would rest on your finger .
As a result of these placement and visibility rules, tattoos and brands are not allowed on:
- Your neck above the t-shirt line
- Inside your eyelids, mouth or ears
So-called permanent makeup, which includes tattoos used as permanent eyebrows or eyeliner, is allowed as long as it follows the Armys rules on makeup. Those rules, covered in the same Army regulation, allow makeup only for women, and require the makeup to be applied modestly and conservatively.
Can You Join The Army At 30
There are two ways for joining the military at 30. You may enlist in a qualifying branch A) with or without a degree as an enlisted soldier or B) as an officer. … However, you can earn a higher salary by considering joining the military at 30 as an officer. The opportunity is only available to college graduates.
Examples Of Army Offensive Tattoos
Here are the main types of tattoos the U.S. Army analyzes and may prohibit you from enlisting in the military:
- Sexist Tattoos: Soldiers are not allowed to have body art that advocates a philosophy that degrades or demeans a person based on gender.
- Racist Tattoos: Soldiers are not allowed to have body ink that degrades or demeans a person based on race, ethnicity, or national origin.
- Extremist Tattoos: The Army determines extremist tattoos as body art affiliated with, depicting, or symbolizing extremist philosophies, organizations, or activities. The Army has zero-tolerance toward organizations that promote racial or gender intolerance.
- Indecent Tattoos: The Army clarifies that indecent tattoos are grossly offensive to modesty, decency, propriety, or professionalism. The definition of indecent tattoos in the Army is fairly loose. It might include body art like a character flipping the bird or using the restroom on another object.
Lastly, branding tattoos are not authorized in the U.S. Army.
Military personnel are prohibited from having tattoos, including brands on the head, face, and neck.
There are several commonly asked questions regarding the Army tattoo policy:
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Will The Army Pay For Tattoo Removal
Generally speaking, visits to a tattoo removal clinic will be on your own dimeâthe government will not pay for you to have a tattoo removed, nor will health insurance. Fortunately, we do offer special discounts for military recruits, active duty, and veterans â it’s our way of saying, âthank you for your service!â
Amid Recruiting Crunch Army Approves Small Hand Ear And Neck Tattoos For Soldiers
WACO, Texas U.S. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth on Thursday issued a new policy allowing soldiers to have small tattoos on their hands, ears and necks.
The Army Times reports the U.S. military is struggling to find recruits right now. With three months remaining in fiscal 2022, the U.S. Army has only attained 40 percent of its enlisted recruiting goal.
The following tattoos are now authorized for Army soldiers:
- One visible tattoo on each hand smaller than one inch in measurement. This tattoo cannot be on the fingers, though one ring tattoo per hand is okay, as are an unlimited number of tattoos between the fingers, as long as they are not visible when the fingers are closed.
- One tattoo on the back of a soldiers neck, less than two inches in measurement.
- One tattoo behind each ear, no larger than one inch in measurement and not extending beyond the ear lobe.
READ THE U.S. ARMYS MEMORANDUM ON SOLDIER TATTOOS:
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Adapting To The New Army Tattoo Policy For 2021
The Army tattoo policy is a constant revolving door.
Therefore, soldiers with tattoos that were previously compliant to military policies yet have since been deemed inappropriate can get grandfathered in.
Regardless, it is impossible to have a tattoo on the face or head grandfathered because these locations on the body were never authorized in the military.
Army soldiers are inspected routinely for new body art as well as other regulations of its grooming standards.
Attempting to hide or cover up tattoos in violation of the policy is a bad idea and will inevitably end up with disciplinary action.
Before obtaining a tattoo it is recommended that soldiers , speak to a unit leader/recruiting coordinator to ensure the ink falls within acceptable standards.
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What Tattoos Are Not Allowed In The Navy
Now, you might want an exhaustive list of exactly what types of tattoos the Navy does not accept, but its not that easy.
While there are guidelines there arent any set-in-stone rules that cover every possible scenario.
Because lets face it, the diversity of tattoos are only limited to the imagination, so new cases pop up all the time that the Navy must deal with on the fly.
With this in mind, its the commanding officer who gets the last say.
USAToday goes on to quote Stevens saying:
There are just so many variables when you look at tattoo language and tattoo art that its just not reasonable to try and identify a set list of what is and what isnt acceptable. This is one of those areas where we trust this senior leadership, our triads, to be able to look at something in its context, using the chain of command and having discussions amongst themselves as to whether something is appropriate or not.
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Military Tattoo Rules In One Graphic
To understand just how far the military has come on tattoo tolerance, check out below the comprehensive graphic GAO created. It shows side-by-side depictions of areas of the body that were off-limits to tattoos prior to 2020, and the much more limited restrictions now in effect. The graphic also contrasts the various services policies on tattoos.
Under old regulations, every service prohibited tattoos on the head and face most services substantially restricted ink on the hands and fingers. All services had limitations on how much ink could show on the arms, torso, and legs, though no service completely barred tattoos on these areas.
Under new policies, four out of six services permit tattoos on the neck, with some limitations. Previous limitations on the arms, legs and torso have been lifted for all the services. . All services now permit tattoos on the fingers, with some limitations, and three of the six now allow hand tattoos as well. With only head and face tattoos still banned across the board, its clear that advocates for ink are winning their fight over the more conservative military establishment.
That said, some services have come farther than others. The Marine Corps, which takes special pride in its professional image, has historically been among the most conservative on the subject, limiting size and placement of tattoos and restricting certain special duties, such as embassy security guard, to those without large visible ink designs.
What Tattoos Are Allowed In The Army
The U.S. Army prides itself on a clean and neat presentation.
However, the military branch has adapted to modern social norms where nearly half of all Millenials have at least one tattoo.
The Army revised its tattoo policy during the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq in order to open up a larger recruiting pool.
Tattoos and brands are defined by the U.S. Army as permanent markings that are difficult to reverse in terms of financial cost, discomfort, and effectiveness of removal techniques.
The Army tattoo policy no longer limits the number of tattoos on a soldier.
Additionally, the size of tattoos is also not scrutinized near as much as previous generations.
As a result, members of the Army are allowed to have as many tattoos as they want on their chest, arms, torso, and legs.
It is an adaptation of a previous Army tattoo policy that limited the number of tattoos to four below the elbow and knee.
However, the skin below the wrist and from the neck up is still off-limits.
The only exception to the hand is a ring tattoo, with one being permitted per hand.
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More Tattoo Policy Changes May Be On The Way
The military services each generally agreed with GAOs recommendation that they clarify the information they provide about available tattoo waivers and how to apply for them. The Coast Guard specifically stated that it planned to update its own guidance and requirements by the end of November.
The Navy may be on the verge of rolling out a more substantial change, however. The GAO report said that, while the service doesnt now offer waivers for current service members, Navy officials indicated possible changes to the tattoo policy for service members are under consideration.
If youre a sailor with a prohibited head, neck, or face tattoo, perhaps you should stay tuned.
Can You Join The Military With Tattoos What Are The Rules
Tattoos have always been a part of the militarys culture. But, lately, the military has been cracking down on tattoos that are deemed inappropriate.
The military is now strictly enforcing tattoo rules in an effort to make its members more professional-looking. If youre thinking about joining the military and want to know if your tattoos will disqualify you, here are some things to consider.
Can you join the military with tattoos?
Yes, you can join the military with tattoos. Long answer: Yes, you can join the military with tattoos. Though its difficult to predict what your tattoo will look like in 10 years, yes, you may be disqualified for tattoos that violate the rules. That being said, if youre a good fit for a particular military branch or service and are willing to put in some elbow grease and time in the recruiting process, then joining with tattoos may be a possibility.
Before we get into specifics about how to join the military with tattoos, lets first talk about what kinds of tattooed people have been accepted into the armed forces.
What Are The Rules For Tattoos In The Military?
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Miscellaneous Conditions Of The Extremities
The following conditions may disqualify you for military service:
a. Arthritis.
Active, subacute or chronic arthritis.
Chronic osteoarthritis or traumatic arthritis of isolated joints of more than a minimal degree, which has interfered with the following of a physically active vocation in civilian life or that prevents the satisfactory performance of military duty.
b. Chronic Retropatellar Knee Pain Syndrome with or without confirmatory arthroscopic evaluation.
c. Dislocation if unreduced, or recurrent dislocations of any major joint such as shoulder, hip, elbow or knee or instability of any major joint such as shoulder, elbow or hip.
d. Fractures.
Malunion or non-union of any fracture, except ulnar styloid process.
Orthopedic hardware, including plates, pins, rods, wires or screws used for fixation and left in place except that a pin, wire or screw not subject to easy trauma is not disqualifying.
e. Injury of a bone or joint of more than a minor nature, with or without fracture or dislocation, that occurred within the preceding six weeks: upper extremity, lower extremity, ribs and clavicle.
f. Joint replacement.
g. Muscular paralysis, contracture or atrophy, if progressive or of sufficient degree to interfere with military service and muscular dystrophies.
h. Osteochondritis dissecans.
i. Osteochondromatosis or multiple cartilaginous exostoses.
j. Osteoporosis.
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What Air Force Tattoos Are Allowed
Well, for starters, Airmen can sport tattoos that are nearly 100% the size of their body.
As previously mentioned, the Air Force has lifted the 25% rule , and for good reason.
Recruiters were aware of the fact that nearly half of all millenials had a tattoo.
But what they quickly realized was that 1 in every 5 of the recruits who did have tattoos had tattoos that required review and were potentially disqualifying.
And the #1 disqualifier turned out to be the 25% rule.
Go figure.
Today, with that rule out the window, Airmen can have virtually any size tattoo, or grouping of tattoos, anywhere on their chest, back, arms, legs, and feet.
Ah, yes, the feet! Here is where the Air Force differs from other branches as well.
They allow tattoos on the feet below the ankle line.
In other words, Airmen can get inked up to their hearts content .
Sleeves anyone?
Its true, this means the USAF now allows sleeve tattoos full-sleeves or half-sleeves, or anything in-between is now perfectly acceptable.
Hand tattoos are technically allowed, but as mentioned, theyre limited to one ring tattoo on one hand only.
According to one news report, Current Airmen with existing hand tattoos that were authorized under the previous policy will be grandfathered in under the old policy standards.
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What Tattoos Are Allowed In The Navy
As of April 2018, sailors can sport a single neck tattoo , as long as it isnt bigger than 1-inch in diameter.
Additionally, tattoos below the knee and elbow, no matter the size and quantity, are perfectly fine.
This means full sleeves are allowed. Hand and ring tattoos are permitted as well.
This new policy isnt much different from one released in 2016.
The only major difference is the addition of the small neck tattoo.
Before that, however, the Navys policy on tattoos hadnt been changed in over a decade.
One relatively new amendment to the Navys tattoo policy is that they now allow sailors with sleeve tattoos to attain rank of Recruit Training command and other Recruiting command positions.
So dont be too surprised if you see a full-sleeved, tattoo-loving sailor show up to your high school or college.
As far as cosmetic tattoos go, the Navy does allow cosmetic tattoos to correct certain medical conditions.
But this is on a case-by-case basis.
All in all, compared to the Marines, the Navy is incredibly generous regarding their tattoo policy.
Navy Tattoo Policy 2022
Like other branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, the Navy updated its tattoo policy in 2016 in an effort to ensure that the branch is able to recruit and keep talented sailors.
“The tattoo policy change was made to reflect tattoo realities in the nation our military serves. The Navy does not want to miss opportunities to bring in talented men and women willing to serve,” it said in a 2016 publication of All Hands, the U.S. Navy magazine.
Neck and sleeve tattoos are allowed, officials said. But tattoos that are “prejudicial to good order, discipline, and morale, or be of a nature that brings discredit upon the naval service” are banned, including those that are racist, sexist, extremist, or indecent. Commanding officers and the chain of command are responsible for making these determinations.
Specifically, one tattoo is allowed on the neck, but it cannot exceed one inch in any direction. Any size or amount of tattoos on the arms and legs are allowed, officials said.
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More Ink On Heads Fingers Allowed In Updated Coast Guard Tattoo Policy
Coast Guard men, women and recruits now have more options to show off tattoos on their fingers or behind their ears under a new policy the service announced Monday.
The new finger regulation allows service members to get a tattoo anywhere between their first knuckle and fingertip, or on the top or side of the finger, in an area that may be visible at the position of attention.
The Coast Guard previously had stipulated that a single finger tattoo could be placed per hand but needed to be between the first and second knuckle. Any ring tattoo counts as the single finger tattoo allowed on that hand.
The new rules also allow for a single tattoo no larger than an inch wide to be placed behind one ear.
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Hand tattoos remain authorized as long as they are no more than an inch wide. One finger and one hand tattoo are allowed on each hand, according to policy, published as ALCOAST Commandant Notice 113/21.
The Coast Guard last updated its tattoo policy in 2019 to broaden the pool of potential recruits and allow members flexibility in decorating their bodies.
Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz said in his first State of the Coast Guard Address in 2019 that the services leadership needed to look at its policies to draw service members and retain them.
All the military services have issued updates in recent years to address similar concerns, as well as trends in the general population where they hope to attract recruits.
Can I Join The Army With A Felony
It’s possible to join the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard with a felony conviction. With that said, it is an uphill battle. In general, the 5 branches of the military are looking for candidates with a sound moral character. Often, a felony is looked at as a failure to meet that standard.
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Joining The Military Or Aspiring To Be Promoted Your Tattoos Could Have An Impact
Each US military branch has its own appearance policies and tattoo policy that dictates the type, size, and location of allowable tattoos. However, all military tattoo policies are consistent regarding the content of allowed tattoos. Tattoos in the military cannot feature vulgarity, nudity, graphic violence, or any sentiments that could be considered racist, elitist, or anti-government. If the content of a military tattoo is in question, the decision is made by the soldiers commanding officer.