Posted on May 27, 2023
Is Airborne without a border considered a tab? Should I get the “Airborne” on my tattoo covered up or removed?
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The tattoo on the left is mine & the right is an Internet one I found. I have always been told that if the words Airborne and Air Assault don’t have a border around them on a tattoo they aren’t considered a “tab” and anyone can have them.
I have had my tattoo for a decade & my uncle (a Vietnam vet with the 101st/173rd) has seen and known about it the whole time. Now all of a sudden he wants me to cover up or remove ONLY the word “Airborne” because it is on top of the eagle making it a tab & since I was Supply working there from 02-05 and didn’t get to go to air assault school due to the Iraq War starting I haven’t earned the right to have it (This despite the fact he knows I did all the training the Infantry soldiers did on top of my own and did well enough to pass the EIB course & even did the training for Air Assault school including climbing the rope & ringing the bell, etc. as well as my getting pushed back for infantry soldiers coming in to go through first as was the policy).
It costs a lot to cover up or remove a tattoo I am finding out after a decade of having this one. So my question is IF I find someone I can afford to cover up that word should I do it (He is the reason I joined in the first place, otherwise I probably would tell whoever to mind their own)?
I have had my tattoo for a decade & my uncle (a Vietnam vet with the 101st/173rd) has seen and known about it the whole time. Now all of a sudden he wants me to cover up or remove ONLY the word “Airborne” because it is on top of the eagle making it a tab & since I was Supply working there from 02-05 and didn’t get to go to air assault school due to the Iraq War starting I haven’t earned the right to have it (This despite the fact he knows I did all the training the Infantry soldiers did on top of my own and did well enough to pass the EIB course & even did the training for Air Assault school including climbing the rope & ringing the bell, etc. as well as my getting pushed back for infantry soldiers coming in to go through first as was the policy).
It costs a lot to cover up or remove a tattoo I am finding out after a decade of having this one. So my question is IF I find someone I can afford to cover up that word should I do it (He is the reason I joined in the first place, otherwise I probably would tell whoever to mind their own)?
Infantry
11A: Infantry Officer
Air Assault School
Tattoos
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 15
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SPC James Seigars
I plan on doing just that, Ma’m. But right now I’m conflicted as to what that is which is why I’m asking for the input of others who may have had a similar experience to mine. Thank you for replying to my question.
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"I have always been told that if the words Airborne and Air Assault don’t have a border around them on a tattoo they aren’t considered a “tab” and anyone can have them."
You've never once heard that as official guidance from the Department of Defense or the U.S. Army although I'm sure you've heard that from a group/individual that gave you the "this is how we do things around here" guidance. Personally, I've never heard "tats being tabs" type of thing in my >32 years in the Army, but then again, I'm not a "tattoo guy" and probably hung around with a different group.
So, it comes down to the individual's or group's social construct - in this case your uncle's - on what is acceptable or not. Frankly, it all comes down to your last sentence - anyone else you would have told to butt out, but he's the reason you joined.
Obviously the relationship you have with your uncle is important to you, so the first thing I would advise is just talking to him to see why he has this change in attitude after it being ok for 10 years. Maybe he hangs with a group of vets from his Vietnam days and that is the social norms with them. Maybe he read something somewhere and one thought lead to another and another and eventually ended up with "My nephew needs to remove Airborne from his army because he's not!". Heck, maybe something about the 101st being in Romania and being "Ukraine adjacent" set him off.
Bottom line: You won't know why he's switched his view on your tattoo unless you talk to him.
If after the discussions with him are done and you know the why of his attitude change he still wants you to have it removed, then I'd say you have a decision to make regarding accepting someone else's social norms in regards to your relationship with them (however, if you do come to the decision that you want to honor his reasons and have it removed that you do as MSG (Join to see) suggested - if he's having the issue, then he can meet you halfway. You agree to remove it and he agrees to pay for it since you're removing it for him).
You've never once heard that as official guidance from the Department of Defense or the U.S. Army although I'm sure you've heard that from a group/individual that gave you the "this is how we do things around here" guidance. Personally, I've never heard "tats being tabs" type of thing in my >32 years in the Army, but then again, I'm not a "tattoo guy" and probably hung around with a different group.
So, it comes down to the individual's or group's social construct - in this case your uncle's - on what is acceptable or not. Frankly, it all comes down to your last sentence - anyone else you would have told to butt out, but he's the reason you joined.
Obviously the relationship you have with your uncle is important to you, so the first thing I would advise is just talking to him to see why he has this change in attitude after it being ok for 10 years. Maybe he hangs with a group of vets from his Vietnam days and that is the social norms with them. Maybe he read something somewhere and one thought lead to another and another and eventually ended up with "My nephew needs to remove Airborne from his army because he's not!". Heck, maybe something about the 101st being in Romania and being "Ukraine adjacent" set him off.
Bottom line: You won't know why he's switched his view on your tattoo unless you talk to him.
If after the discussions with him are done and you know the why of his attitude change he still wants you to have it removed, then I'd say you have a decision to make regarding accepting someone else's social norms in regards to your relationship with them (however, if you do come to the decision that you want to honor his reasons and have it removed that you do as MSG (Join to see) suggested - if he's having the issue, then he can meet you halfway. You agree to remove it and he agrees to pay for it since you're removing it for him).
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SPC James Seigars
Thank you, sir. So far yours is the most thought out of all the answers I have read. I didn’t get any tattoos until just before I retired and even then it was one I had hidden (nobody in my CoC knew about it).
So aside from knowing things like “You can’t get a neck tattoo while active” or “You can’t have tattoos that are readily visible (like my 101st one)” I didn’t think to look into Policy or seek other guidance on them. It was vets who told me about the border being a tab & no border not one (along with some tattooists).
I have pretty much came to the same conclusion you have about asking why the change of heart after so long & if he still wants it changed after we discuss it then he will either have to do as you & the MSG suggest or wait until I can afford to get it done. Again, thank you for your well thought out reply, Sir.
So aside from knowing things like “You can’t get a neck tattoo while active” or “You can’t have tattoos that are readily visible (like my 101st one)” I didn’t think to look into Policy or seek other guidance on them. It was vets who told me about the border being a tab & no border not one (along with some tattooists).
I have pretty much came to the same conclusion you have about asking why the change of heart after so long & if he still wants it changed after we discuss it then he will either have to do as you & the MSG suggest or wait until I can afford to get it done. Again, thank you for your well thought out reply, Sir.
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Since your uncle was okay with your tattoo for a decade....tell your uncle he can pay for the removal since he now suddenly doesn't like it. Yea, he may have been the reason you joined, but that doesn't give him the right nor authority to make you alter your tat.
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