Tattoo Culture and AR 670-1

The army is coming up with the new tattoo policy:
TATTOO & BRANDING
- Policy is equal for accessions and current Soldiers;
Current Soldiers may keep previously authorized
tattoos (grandfathered)
- Redefined indecent tattoos
- Added restrictions for locations for unauthorized
tattoos
- Soldiers’ current tattoos will be documented in online
records to protect Soldiers with grandfathered tattoos
and aid with implementing this policy
- Unauthorized tattoo locations:
- On the head, face, & neck, (anything above the T-shirt
line to include on/inside the eyelids, mouth, & ears)
- On the hands, fingers, wrists (below the wrist bone)
- Each visible tattoo below the elbow or below the
knee must be smaller than the size of the wearer’s
hand (with fingers extended & joined with the thumb
touching the base of the index finger)
- Soldiers may have no more than 4 total visible
tattoos (smaller than the size of the wearer’s hand)
below the elbow or below the knee
- Defines small tattoos within a 5 inch diameter as one tattoo
- Visible band tattoos may be no more than 2” in width; Each
band tattoo counts as one tattoo & Soldiers may have no
more than one visible band tattoo
- Sleeve tattoos on arms or legs are unauthorized
- Officers and Warrant Officers are also restricted to this
same policy; Enlisted Soldiers exceeding this limit cannot
request commissioning (not grandfathered)

These are some of the things covered in the policy.  I personally feel that not allowing enlisted personnel to go warrant or officer if they have tattoos in restricted areas is just like saying you cannot let homosexual personnel join the army or go warrant / officer.  In the United States tattoos are a part of culture.  You have freedom of religion and sexual preference, but not a right to tattoos.  This is pure discrimination.  Rules are rules, I got it.  I personally had plans to go warrant in the next couple of years and retire after providing my vast CBRN knowledge to the army.  It looks like if this part of the new regulation passes I will be out of that option.  I personally would not have gotten tattoos, but it is Army culture.  I went to Iraq when I was 18.  I came back at 19.  My team, platoon, and company survived.  We were young, happy, and proud to make it back alive.  The majority of Soldiers that went and got tattoos had something Patriotic done to show our pride.  Overall I am extremely pissed and feel that this is unfair to the people that serve our country.  At least grandfather us in to be able to become warrant officers and officers. 


What do you feel?