Posted on Sep 24, 2014
Has your military experience inspired you to get a tattoo?
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36% of service members and veterans have tattoos, and more than half of them got their tattoos before deploying. Did you get a tattoo after you joined the military? What inspired you to get one or more?
Tattoos
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Art
Command Post
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 207
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I waited until after I left the military to get mine, but I did eventually get around to it. Ever since my first deployment I knew I wanted to get one, I just wanted to be damned sure that what I got was something I'd be OK with having on me for the rest of my life.
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SPC Americo Garcia
I respect anyone who did not get one. There are times I wish I had none. It big but still concealed under clothes.
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SN Earl Robinson
Interesting story about Tattoos. When I was on the plane flying to the Philippines l sat next to this old salt who had a Tat of a panther on his arm but I couldn't tell what it was so I asked him and he said what it was and then said "no matter what never get a Tattoo because you will never know what it will look like when you get older" well every port I we hit my Division would go out and get drunk and then we some how would always end up at a Tat parlor but no matter how drunk I got I never said yes to a Tat LOL! And to this day I have no Tattoos. Another way I have come to look at it as I've matured is your body is one of Gods art masterpieces so why put Graffiti on Gods art.
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I have tattoos in remembrance of friends I lost and the American flag. So I guess all my tats are military related...except my wife’s name but then again I met her while on active duty..
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Nope, none on this guy! I will have to say, I have seen some incredible art in my days.
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I have 9 tattoos that I got AFTER I retired. they all mean something and I don't regret it a bit.....especially now.
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1LT William Clardy
Alas, SGT (Join to see), the reasons are many.
From a functional standpoint, I want nothing that might show up as a "distinguishing body marking" on a police report.
From a technical standpoint, software I've developed has always been easy to identify by its functional but ugly user interface.
As further evidence of my confidence in my own aesthetic ability, I let my wife pick out the clothes I wear to work.
So, even if I wanted a tattoo, think how great the odds are that I'd wiind up uglifying this specimen of manly-manness.
(Besides, my stories need a lot of gesticulation and intoning -- one of the most satisfying compliments I ever overheard was "Clardy's war stories are the least exciting, but they always turn out to be true.")
From a functional standpoint, I want nothing that might show up as a "distinguishing body marking" on a police report.
From a technical standpoint, software I've developed has always been easy to identify by its functional but ugly user interface.
As further evidence of my confidence in my own aesthetic ability, I let my wife pick out the clothes I wear to work.
So, even if I wanted a tattoo, think how great the odds are that I'd wiind up uglifying this specimen of manly-manness.
(Besides, my stories need a lot of gesticulation and intoning -- one of the most satisfying compliments I ever overheard was "Clardy's war stories are the least exciting, but they always turn out to be true.")
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Cpl Robert Clark
You shall not make any gashes in your flesh for the dead or tattoo any marks upon you: I am the Lord. (NRSV, Leviticus 19:28) Unfortunately, I have 2.
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I have no tattoos. I have considered getting 8 overseas service stripes on my right arm.
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MSG (Join to see)
I have several--most with a hidden meaning, but just be careful.....SMA is watching!! I would make sure that the t-shirt sleeve covers whatever you get!
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Two full sleeves, a side piece and a little one behind my ear, all with unique tributes or symbolism for my military career and the men I served with
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SPC Daniel Bowen
Besides the fact that tattoos are addicting, hells yes it has! 3 out of 4 that take up my torso are all military/deployment related. A constant reminder that I get to see every morning on why we do what we do.
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I was neutral about tattoos until I joined the Army. I saw the most botched up and "stupid" tattoos of all time. It definitely doesn't help that surrounding every post is a satellite of shady and skeezy tattoo parlors tempting away at young impressionable soldiers. So any kind of feeling of getting a tattoo was squashed forever.
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Sgt Franklin B.
You should look at people over 60, you will see that most of the tats aren't clear at all. Skin folds or rolls distort them.
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SPC Joshua H.
Or find a good artist, and not the local to base ink factories...The guy who does mine will refuse to do it if you are drunk/high. If you come to him with a design that will look like garbage in a few years (super fine line work close together) he will try to talk you out of it and try to do a minor re-design. This is something any GOOD artist will do. I have my flag tat on here, and that is all his design, as it my chest piece. A good tat will look good for many many years...a bad tat will start looking like crap in a few months.
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