What's the worst motivational tattoo you've seen in the military?

2022-10-31T11:28:43-04:00

Thanks to all who participated! This sweepstakes event has ended and all prizes have been awarded. Please continue to share your stories and follow the RallySweeps page for the next event! https://rly.pt/RLYSWP

RallySweeps | RallyPoint

RallySweeps

Response by COL Randall C. made Oct 31 at 2022 12:50 PM

2022-10-31T12:50:57-04:00

Well, I guess you can consider it a tattoo in the sense of "body art".

During my time at Ft. Bliss in the early 90s, there was an NCO in our unit that decided to brand the unit patch onto his upper right arm.

Sounds pretty motivational, right?

That was until he realized that after it was branded on it turned out to be backwards and upside down...

queue the belly laughs.

Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Oct 31 at 2022 2:37 PM

2022-10-31T14:37:40-04:00

THANKS FOR SHARING

Response by CPT Aaron Kletzing made Oct 31 at 2022 11:08 PM

2022-10-31T23:08:50-04:00

“Bullets don’t fly without Supply”

^^ yeah, not sure that’s really going to convince people of the point you’re trying to make, lol

Response by SPC Geoffrey Wells made Oct 31 at 2022 11:13 PM

2022-10-31T23:13:07-04:00

Those that get the torn flesh/uniform tattoos. There's motivation and then there's full hooah. If I were to get any new ink I would only put my deployment patch on me

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 2 at 2022 6:58 PM

2022-11-02T18:58:53-04:00

My dads name was Jody… this was a kids tattoo that is saw in Afghanistan while deployed, two weeks later he lost his girlfriend/fiancé with a Jody letter. Talking about a motivational joke that is permanent that backfired. I truly hope the kid is ok, as he was really torn up at the time.

Response by PO3 Keith Danner made Nov 2 at 2022 9:54 PM

2022-11-02T21:54:27-04:00

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

Response by CPT Victor Poland made Nov 2 at 2022 10:19 PM

2022-11-02T22:19:47-04:00

Who the Hell POL. Not sure how that really motivated them

Response by Capt Sylvia DeBorger made Nov 3 at 2022 12:41 AM

2022-11-03T00:41:16-04:00

I haven't seen any good ones.

Response by PVT Ted Rodosovich made Nov 3 at 2022 4:15 AM

2022-11-03T04:15:57-04:00

Any references to deities.

Response by MSgt Michelle Coleman made Nov 3 at 2022 6:42 AM

2022-11-03T06:42:57-04:00

A coworker, a crew chief, got a Tweety Bird on his ankle in Singapore. It ended up getting infected too

Response by Sgt Theodore Cabral made Nov 3 at 2022 9:01 AM

2022-11-03T09:01:51-04:00

Cover Up Names of Ex-Girlfriends.....one OK.....But 3 or More This Person didn't Learn.....LOL

Response by CCMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 3 at 2022 9:08 AM

2022-11-03T09:08:28-04:00

The worst motivational tattoo I've seen is one that points to hate towards others. I can't believe that some actually think the swastika is appropriate to show off for any reason.

Response by CPL Jason Blackwood made Nov 3 at 2022 9:22 AM

2022-11-03T09:22:05-04:00

Too scary looking perhaps...?

Response by Sgt Jeremy Gray made Nov 3 at 2022 9:35 AM

2022-11-03T09:35:42-04:00

So back when I was in the fleet at Camp Pendleton, there was this Marine (piece of doo doo in my book) who did not come to love the Corps as most of us did,and he wanted a piece of art that not only displayed his motivation but also his distain apparently. Dude got a half eaten apple tattooed on his forearm that said Eat the apple FUCK the CORPS. Needless to say he didn't need motivation anymore after that mistake lol. What do you say to someone with 2 black eyes... nuthin they been told twice!

Response by SPC Charles Cofer made Nov 3 at 2022 11:56 AM

2022-11-03T11:56:17-04:00

upside down eagle

Response by SR David McLeod made Nov 3 at 2022 12:20 PM

2022-11-03T12:20:02-04:00

death before dishonor

Response by CW4 Thomas Montgomery made Nov 3 at 2022 12:49 PM

2022-11-03T12:49:36-04:00

Had to be the Pink Panter riding a skateboard while smoking a cigarette

Response by MSG Phillip Trujillo made Nov 3 at 2022 5:31 PM

2022-11-03T17:31:37-04:00

I saw a soldier tattoo
Picking Cigarette butts.

Response by CPL Don Allen made Nov 4 at 2022 7:58 AM

2022-11-04T07:58:50-04:00

“Be all you can be.” Homer Simpson was in the backdrop.

Response by CPO Marcus Jackson made Nov 4 at 2022 2:55 PM

2022-11-04T14:55:26-04:00

I think the worst motivational tattoo I've seen was one from a Marine who had the slogan gung ho tattoo across his back but it was misspelled.

Response by CWO5 Jeffrey Backus made Nov 5 at 2022 12:03 PM

2022-11-05T12:03:52-04:00

Boot had a (then not allowed) tat on his forearm of the Statue of Liberty, modified to have one breast out and holding an AR rather than the torch.

Response by Cpl Norman Reinoehl made Nov 5 at 2022 12:07 PM

2022-11-05T12:07:51-04:00

The worst was with the Marine Corp back in 1965 . . . . . . . . . .

A Vagina with a tongue!

Response by Cpl Norman Reinoehl made Nov 5 at 2022 12:10 PM

2022-11-05T12:10:40-04:00

The worst was with the Marine Corp back in 1965 . . . . . . . . . .
A Vagina with a tongue!

Response by CMSgt Elbert E. Clayton made Nov 5 at 2022 1:42 PM

2022-11-05T13:42:09-04:00

Early 1956, Keesler AFB, Biloxi, MS. A wild night in Biloxi, a lot of 17-year-old illegal, but disregarded by law enforcement, drinking and a visit to a tattoo parlor with several other enlistees. Everyone else gets large body defacements of Panthers, dirty words and other hopefully masculine verbiage. I elect 'to get my nickname "Sonny" on my left forearm about midway. Unfortunately, the tattoo parlor artist couldn't spell, didn't give a damn or was fiendishly evil. A few days later when the spelling could be seen clearly, I noted that I was scarred for life with the misspelled "SUnny" that thankfully has faded to a dark and reminding episode in my life. The only thing good I remember from that night was earlier in the evening I had been very fortunate to have tickets to a performance at the airmen's club by "Little Jimmy Dickens" of Country Music fame. His performance was the only motivational factor surrounding that night.

Response by SFC John Yohn made Nov 5 at 2022 9:18 PM

2022-11-05T21:18:31-04:00

A Purle Heart.

Response by SFC John Yohn made Nov 5 at 2022 9:19 PM

2022-11-05T21:19:06-04:00

Go Navy.

Response by CPT Andrew Grady made Nov 7 at 2022 5:27 AM

2022-11-07T05:27:24-05:00

Somebody had "Live Free or Die" in black and grey, gothic style lettering, but it was split in half as two half sleeves with other artwork*, and the lettering fell on his triceps just below his short-sleeve line, or at least it was supposed to sit below it. The "Live Free" side was just a tad higher so it would often be covered up, making it look like he was only giving you the option to die.

*The background artwork was an Americana old school naval ship and the American Flag, tastefully wrapped/spangled around his arms

Response by PO2 Robert Kelly made Nov 7 at 2022 7:57 AM

2022-11-07T07:57:35-05:00

Anything with the Tasmanian devil.

Response by LCpl Hannah Terry made Nov 12 at 2022 5:51 AM

2022-11-12T05:51:28-05:00

My own, it’s a green crayon! Not the only Marine I’ve seen with green crayon tattoo though!

Response by SSgt Yolanda Ward made Nov 28 at 2022 12:16 AM

2022-11-28T00:16:08-05:00

The twenty plus years I spent in the military, I never saw an inspirational tattoo! Most of those seen were reflecting something selfishly valued or an attempt to fit in when others in the unit received tattoos.

Response by SFC Kris Kirk made Nov 30 at 2022 6:32 PM

2022-11-30T18:32:30-05:00

SUPPERMAN

I guess he was good at foraging for food.

Response by SSG Art Luneau made Nov 30 at 2022 7:14 PM

2022-11-30T19:14:31-05:00

My LT's ex-girlfriends face tattoed on my Platoon Sgt forearm...

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 1 at 2022 12:19 AM

2022-12-01T00:19:22-05:00

and eagle with words that I couldn’t make out. The eagle looked like it was burned in a fire

Response by RallyPoint News made Dec 5 at 2022 11:22 AM

2022-12-05T11:22:26-05:00

Congratulations to SSG Art Luneau, CPT Andrew Grady, CPL Don Allen, PO3 Keith Danner, and Sgt Theodore Cabral. You've all won a $100 Amazon gift card! An e-gift card will be sent to the email address associated with your RallyPoint account.

Thanks to all who participated and shared!