Posted on Mar 29, 2015
SGT Fire Team Leader
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I think along with many other think this tattoo policy needs to go away. I am barred from becoming a warrant officer because i have a sleeve tattoo. Seriously? I think this is complete bs. I have my pilots license on the civilian side i have passed all my Army pre reqs. So why can't i become a warrant offer? Because i have a tattoo and thats bs many great soldiers and potential great leaders are being screwed out of advancing to the top. Wjat do you guys think?
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Responses: 127
SP6 Richie Love
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I believe its is appearance thing. Society has said we should adapt to meet what people are doing now. But I am sorry. Military isn't a place where we need to change our standards to meet society. In the professional world business don't want people who are all tattooed up. Because they feel it is a bad representation for their company. So why should the Army be any different. When you get the tattoos you take a chance of missing out on things. No one forced you, no one paid you, and no one drugged you and gave it to you. You free will. SO know you must pay the consequences for your actions. I believed as long as they are hid in a class A uniform then this is fine (Business attire is usually long sleeve and jacket). But if its a job where short sleeve is required as business dress then tattoos below elbow are wrong. You are blaming the rules for your decision. This is wrong. Sorry about your luck. but except responsibility for your own decisions there SGT.
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Sgt Howard Pierce
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Tattoos are a Naval tradition really. Probably Army too. When I graduated from DI school, a bunch of us went into town and got a PI DI tattoo, with the Marine Corps mascot (Bull Dog).

During my career I saw plenty of officers with tattoos. But then, this was the pre-gang tat era. And I think that the government frowns because they had to draw lines when the gangs tried to infiltrate the United States military and Naval services.
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CPT Craig Mathison
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Edited 7 y ago
What more important to you? Becoming and officer or having a tattoo? If it is about your future and becoming and officer suck it up and make the grown-up decision and have them removed. It will hurt like hell and take few a months but it'll be worth it make this sacrifice for your future, career, and family.
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SFC Instructor/Writer
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Them are the breaks, kid. Actions have consequences.
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SFC Joseph Roy
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Tattoo policy needs to be relaxed to a certain level. Military wears their sleeves down 99% of the time any ways.
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CW3 Counterintelligence Technician
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I thought the current policy now states that whatever is covered when in ASU's is permissible? For example, I have not been a Warrant Officer that long (started the process in 2015) and I have a tattoo on my forearm. While not a full-sleeve, it is certainly visible in t-shirts just like a full-sleeve tattoo. I also went to WOCS with several others that had large forearm tattoos as well--and this was within the last two years. None of us were barred from becoming Warrant Officers.

You might want to re-visit the policy and the current updates to AR 670-1 (to include whether or not current SM's are grandfathered in).
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SSG(P) Medical Ncoic
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Agreed brother. That is a retarded policy. What does body ink have to do with anything. It's not like it's on your face or neck. This policy needs to be updated. No one (normal) in 2017 is offended by a sleeve. I would think it should be perfectly acceptiblr for a soldier to have some ink... we're soldiers!!!
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Cpl Tim Rice
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There's thr right way.
The wrong way!
And ... .... ...
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SSG Construction Engineering Supervisor
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Not true... That is a myth
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CPL Randy Bautista
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It has nothing to do with a commission. You can't join at all... that's the policy it has nothing to do with if you meet the physical requirement. You have an image not of your own that your representing. That means you have to abide by all there requirements... if you already in and joined with a waiver then that's all you have to provide to clear for comission... if you got done after you joined be happy you not getting separated for it. It's not what the military can do for you it's what you can do for it. At the end of the day that's what it boils down to
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