Posted on Apr 2, 2014
The new AR 670-1 tattoo policy needs clarification and is already creating debate on the intent.
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I have already posted this as a reply to another discussion but, I believe it warrants it's own discussion. The biggest discrepancy that I have seen in the new 670-1 is the tattoo policy. The part about tattoos below the elbows and knees is already causing big debate among my peers. The debate is this. Firstly, it states that they will be grand fathered for sleeves and tattoos that measure less than 5 inches in diameter. Then it states that sleeves are no longer authorized after the initial documenting of tattoos and that you may have no more than 4 of the 5 inch diameter tattoos below the elbow and knee. Half of us read this as, you may have the 4 tattoos, period, even after the documentation. Meaning that if you had 1 on your right forearm, 1 on your left forearm and 1 on your right calf, you could still get 1 more on your left calf. That would max you out on below the elbow and knee tats. The other half thinks it means if you have any, they will be grandfathered and you can't get any more after documentation regardless of how few you have. That would defeat the concept of grandfathering them at all. Why even put anything about the 4 tattoos in there? Any thoughts on this? Can anyone give a fact based interpretation of this part of the policy?
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 2
It is a mess. I thought I was done for as far as putting in a warrant packet, G2G, or OCS, but when the SMA was here in Ft. Huachuca he said that all you need is a waiver. Without hearing that the board members of those programs might disagree based on the writing alone. It also says no new commissions but doesn't specify if that means you are within the new "4 tattoos" or outside of it, so on. The purpose of the reg was to get rid of grey area on a lot of subjects but as with anything new, there are going to be some goofs on the first release. Hopefully some alaracts or rapid action revisions (RAR's) come out in the next couple quarters to clean it up.
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I would say the most appropriate response is that if you are grandfathered, then you can still get up to your 4 tattoos, including the grandfathered tattoos. So, if you have an 8 inch tattoo below your knee, but nothing else, I would imagine that you could still get three more. The only way I see this not being the case is if the grandfathered tattoos count as more than one tattoo. For example, a 10" tattoo could count as two, etc. I do think you are right that the reg needs clarification on this though.
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