What To Know About Military Tattoo Regulations
MILITARY TATTOO REGULATIONS HAVE CHANGED.
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Military regulations are ever changing, as the popularity of tattoos becomes more widespread. Some branches have relaxed their regulations recently, for those who wish to join. Tattoos may be less of an obstacle, but many of the popular areas and trending themes for body art remain prohibited.
Coast Guard Tattoo Policy
The coastal defense and maritime law enforcement branch of our Armed Forces The US Coast Guard is one of our countrys uniformed services.
And as such, they hold their personnel and service members to a high standard.
Like the other branches of military discussed in this article, the Coast Guard periodically reviews and updates their tattoo and branding policy to keep up with the times and our changing culture.
The Coast Guards latest tattoo policy was unveiled late 2016.
And according to Kurt B. Hinrichs /s/ Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard Reserve Director of Reserve and Military Personnel, the changes to the policy are minimal but important.
The report released by Hinrichs explains that the policy update is to ensure our workforce presents a sharp, professional military appearance to the public while also allowing individual expression through authorized body art that is consistent with the Coast Guards core values.
It seems as though the Coast Guard is keeping in step with the trend thats being followed by all military branches.
That is, theyre loosening up to attract recruits from the largest recruiting pool possible, without sacrificing core values.
But these changes in their tattoo policy arent for new recruits only.
Rather, according to the report, All Coast Guard unit commanders, commanding officers, officers-in-charge, deputy/assistant commandants, and chiefs of headquarters staff elements shall comply with the provisions of this Instruction.
Or Have Entered The Country On A Permanent Residence Visa Or Possess The Alien Registration Green Card And Have:
Regardless, it is incommunicable to take a tattoo on the face or caput grandfathered considering these locations on the body were never authorized in the military. For the second time in two years, the coast guard is relaxing its policy on tattoos in what officials say is an effort to widen the pool of eligible service recruits. Essentially, any visible body tattoos are prohibited.
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Tattoos Growing In Popularity Among Young Recruits
The U.S. Army first began allowing soldiers to have tattoos in 2015. It noted how tattoos have grown in popularity among younger people, citing research by the Armys Training and Doctrine Command showing that 41% of those between the ages of 18 and 34 have at least one or more.
The Navy and Marines have less restrictive tattoo policies, and Army recruiting officials recommended the new changes to senior leaders in an effort to keep potential recruits.
Army recruiters filed more than 650 waivers in 2022 as of May for active duty and reserve recruits, according to TRADOC Enlisted Chief David Andrews. The waivers can take up to two weeks and can impact the recruiting process “because potential recruits who previously had tattoos in restricted areas could have decided to enlist in another military branch.”
” gives us the opportunity to put people in right away that have these types of tattoos,” Andrews said. “We dont want people walking away from opportunities in the Army who are otherwise qualified.”
Sgt. Maj. Ashleigh Sykes, uniform policy sergeant major, said that a soldier may choose to get tattoos for a variety of reasons, including some as a form of creativity and others for religious reasons. While facial tattoos remain banned, Sykes said soldiers may file for an exception if theyd like to receive a facial tattoo for religious reasons.
Previously, the service only allowed ring tattoos on hands.
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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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.
What Tattoos Are Allowed In The Army
Well, the Cliff Notes version of the Armys tattoo policy goes something like this:
The wrist down and the neck up are off limits, with the exception of a single ring tattoo, otherwise its fair game.
While this might help to understand the policy in general terms, its actually a bit more nuanced than this.
Its true that there are no limits as to how many tattoos, and the size of those tattoos, a soldier can have on their arms, legs, chest, and torso.
You can be tatted up pretty good in the Army.
And while you cannot have any hand tattoos , you can have one ring tattoo per hand, located where you would naturally wear a ring.
Finally, permanent makeup such as eyebrows and eyeliner is allowed only on women, and must be applied conservatively and with modesty.
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Popeye The Sailor Man
While Popeye is a Sailor Man, and therefore a card-carrying member of the good ol U.S. Navy, hes a go-to for Coast Guardsmen who are looking for a great tattoo.
Dont be too surprised if you come across loads of Popeye-themed tattoos on Coasties young and old.
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Coast Guard Tattoo Regulations
In the Coast Guard, you can have full sleeve and half-sleeve tattoos, full back and chest tattoos, and tattoos elsewhere on your body, including your legs.
Members of the Coast Guard arent restricted at all when it comes to tattoo size or percentage of coverage. However, any branding cant be larger than a 4-inch by 4-inch area.
Additionally:
- No tattoo can be visible above the Coast Guard crew neck t-shirt.
- You can have one single band ring tattoo on each hand.
- You can also have a finger tattoo that can run the length between the first and second knuckle. You can also have one small hand tattoo, per hand, between the wrist and first knuckle, but it cannot extend one inch in any dimension.
- The Coast Guard also allows Ultraviolet or black light tattoos. The restrictions on these are the same as for regular tattoos.
As far as donts, the Coast Guard also prohibits the tattoos listed above. Other than that, you have free rein to use your body as a canvas.
For more details on the Coast Guards policy on tattoos, review its memo on uniform regulations and visit its website.
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Tattoo Removal For The Military At Medermis Laser Clinic
While the military has become more accommodating and less strict on the subject of tattoos, its always best to do your research before getting inked and when looking to enlist. If youre still not sure about whether to keep or remove your tattoo, we recommend coming in for a free consultation at our Austin or San Antonio location! We can discuss your concerns, answer any questions, and walk you through the process and what to expect to determine if laser tattoo removal is the right choice for you.
Tattoo Removal In Alexandria Va Could Be Needed As Its Very Close To The Pentagon And Other Department Of Defense Organizations That Frown Upon Ink In The Workplace
. The following graphic shows where tattoos are and are not accepted in the US Army in 2020. Army tattoo policy also states that leg tattoos must be two inches below or above the knee. This means one can have sleeve tattoos that cover their forearms -.
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 between. I served in the E Company 2nd Platoon 1st batallion 5th Marines 1st Division. You can cover your chest in ink for instance as long as nothings visible above the neck of your T-shirt.
Military Tattoo Policy When Joining a Branch of the Military. Here you can find everything about Can You Still Join The Military With A Tattoo. No military regulation has been more closely watchedand more frequently changedthan the dos and donts of tattoos.
For upper arm pieces tattoos must start two inches above the elbow. Tattoos that are visible in the Army Combat Uniform ACU or on a military dress blue uniform must be approved by Military Reviewing Authority MRA. In 2015 the Army updated its rules to allow sleeve tattoos but it does not permit soldiers to have ink on their necks or hands which would be visible in the Army Service Uniform.
In all likelihood not unless they can get the tattoo removed first. Yes you can join with tattoos as long as they are not visible above your collar or below your cuff. Tattoos are on my hands I.
Military Tattoo Regulations Empire Resume
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Air Force Tattoo Regulations
The Air Force is pretty lax when it comes to servicemembers with tattoos. Airmen have no restrictions as to the tattoo size.
The following tattoos are allowed:
- Airmen are allowed a single ring tattoo on one finger, on one hand
- Half or full sleeve tattoos
You will notice, the Air Force is currently the only branch that allows feet tattoos.
As far as tattoo donts in the Air Force, just like other branches, there cannot be any tattoos on your face, neck, head, lips, or eyelids.
Be sure to keep up with the latest on the Air Force tattoo policy as policies are always subject to change.
Tattoo Content Thats Prohibited
As far as the content of prohibited tattoos, here are guidelines to be aware of.
Similar to the U.S. Navy and Army, the Marine Corps does NOT allow any tattoo that is prejudicial to good order and discipline or any tattoos that are drug related, gang-related, extremist, obscene or indecent, sexist, or racist.
Also, its worth noting a recent development that was communicated by Marine Corps Service Recruiter Staff Sgt. Justin Eckersley in a social post titled Tattoo Leniency Alert!
He wrote that the Marine Forces Reserve will allow prior service Marines who have out of regulation tattoos to join the reserves in certain circumstances.
According to Eckersley, one of the caveats is that the tattoos cannot be egregious or racist or located on the face, hands, etc. And this lenient tattoo policy waiver isnt for everyone.
Rather, its specifically designed for the Marines who have left the service and have at least 12 months remaining in the Individual Ready Reserves and an actual billet at the reserve unit.
In the end, this leniency allows the Corps to bring back quality Marines who would have otherwise been disqualified from consideration.
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Making Sense Of Waiver Rules
According to GAO, every service except the Navy allows recruits and current service members to request waivers for certain tattoo restrictions. However, the watchdog organization said, the services dont consistently lay out the possibility of such waivers or the process for getting them.
respective policies generally do not document this possibility clearly,it states. Clear guidance on waivers for unauthorized tattoos would provide consistent information about requirements for waiver requests and conditions for approval. This could clarify whether tattoo prevalence affects future or continued military service.
Currently, all services offer recruit waivers for tattoo rules, although the Air Force and Space Force limit such waivers to exceptionally qualified recruits in critical, understaffed career fields. None of the six services, however, outlines how to request waiver approval and what conditions must be met, GAO found. The Navy is the only service that does not offer waivers for current troops. Again, however, the other services fail to specify how to apply for these waivers, and none are clear about which tattoos might qualify for them.
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Can You Join The Canadian Military With Tattoos
- relaxed-kilby January 23, 2022
If you are 17, you can enlist if your parents give consent, however you need to fulfill all of the other requirements, such as school completion. Since today is veterans day , we thought wed take some time to explore the rich relationship between tattoos and the soldiers who wore them.
The Army Tattoo Policy Whats Allowed And Whats Not Cleverism
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Understand The Regulations Before You Sign Up
All five military branches restrict tattoo content. Youre going to have to remove any tattoos based on drugs, sex, violence, or gang affiliation. Similarly, your ink cannot discriminate against sex, religion, or race. If your tattoo ticks people off, chances are its going to keep you out of the service, unless you get rid of it. Theres no point in whining over this. If you want to serve your country, youll be facing much bigger decisions, so get it done. Having offensive tattoos covered or removed is a small price to pay.
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.
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What Happens If A Soldier Is Caught With An Unauthorized Tattoo/refuses To Remove
According to the Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia Manual 670-1, there are procedures for handling unauthorized tattoos.
If a soldier has any tattoo or brand that is prohibited under the Army tattoo policy , he or she will receive a written notice from a commander regarding the violation.
Once the soldier receives the notice he or she has 15 days to make a decision.
The Army traditionally provides three options: A) appeal the decision of the commander, B) have the tattoo professionally removed, or C) keep the tattoo.
Tattoo policy appeals are handled by a commander at the O-6 level for a final determination.
Military personnel that violates the Army tattoo policy are responsible for any costs related to the removal of the tattoo.
Soldiers that elect to keep tattoo in violation of the policy will begin administrative separation proceedings in order to terminate his or her service.
The U.S. Army like every branch of the military has fairly strict grooming standards.
Men and women service members are both required to follow stern haircut requirements.
Additionally, men are not permitted to have beards in the Army though tightly regulated mustaches are authorized.
Body piercings are not allowed for male service members, while females can sport piercing with several restrictions.
Learn what all is authorized and not authorized regarding Army grooming standards.
What Is The Military Excellent For
Some of the hottest benefits of becoming a member of the US military is the job coaching, instructional help, stable paycheck, health protection, and housing benefits.
Is there a weight limit to sign up for the military? Weight Requirements For instance, a recruit who is between 17 and twenty years, with a top of 60 inches, will have to not exceed 120lbs. for women and 139lbs for men. However, if you are in the military, your most weight prohibit is 116lbs for ladies and 132lbs for men.
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