Army Times: Pick a tattoo for SMA Dailey; What do you think of this?

TSgt Joshua Copeland — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 23:14:21 -0400

When the Army reversed its much-hated tattoo policy, many cheered Sergeant Major of the Army Dan Dailey, who was a driving force behind the decision.

"Soldiers show me their new tattoos now," Dailey told Army Times.

But Dailey, who became the Army's top senior enlisted soldier on Jan. 30, doesn't have any ink of his own — for now.

Your SMA has recently given some serious thought about getting a tattoo, and he had an inspired idea:

What if he asked soldiers to pick some ideas for a tattoo, and then put the best up for an Army-wide vote?

"I'm a big morale guy. I'm a positive person," Dailey said. "We're always trying to raise morale, so I said one day, 'let's set up a website and the soldiers get to pick my tattoo, they vote on it.' Could you imagine?"

Dailey's staff quickly warned him of the potential pratfalls of putting it up to a public vote. SMA himself joked that soldiers could make him get a My Little Pony tattoo, and that would be no good.

All that said, Dailey isn't ruling out the idea. He even encouraged Army Times to write this story as a trial balloon.

So, with that in mind, what should SMA's tattoo look like? Send your ideas, sketches or photos to [login to see] . Here's his official bio if you need some inspiration.

Just remember, Mrs. Dailey probably will have a bigger say on the matter than you will.

http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/careers/army/2015/06/29/pick-the-smas-tattoo/29476671/

SMA considers getting a tattoo — and he wants your help

When the Army reversed its much-hated tattoo policy, many cheered Sergeant Major of the Army Dan Dailey as the driving force behind the decision.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 29 at 2015 11:35 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 23:35:56 -0400

I've seen a few forearm tats of boots, rifle and dog tags to memorialize fallen comrades. I would like to see the SMA get that tattoo but with the caption "The fallen, Afghanistan and Iraq" or something to that effect. Because as SMA all the fallen are his troops.

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Jun 30 at 2015 12:05 AM

SFC Mark Merino — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 00:05:26 -0400

I have 3, my first was a M2 Bradley in 1990. I now have to have them all removed or I can not partake in the natural hot springs with Hitomi anywhere in Japan. They have a zero tolerance policy for body art. So my time has come to go through the agony of the removal, so I say "Hold off, SMA." But if you are dead set on pleasing the troops, don't get a confederate flag surrounded by a rainbow. I would find it hilarious, but the media will eat you alive.

Response by SFC Rollie Hubbard made Jun 30 at 2015 2:07 AM

SFC Rollie Hubbard — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 02:07:48 -0400

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 30 at 2015 2:43 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 02:43:00 -0400

I am glad the SMA is tackling issues that are important to Soldiers, but this seems to be taking it a bit too far! If he wants to get a tattoo, great, but is it really something that needs to be broadcasted all over the place and truly worthy of an Army Times article?

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 30 at 2015 8:06 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 08:06:38 -0400

This is a great idea!

I think we should expand this idea/concept to our elected officials, as well.

I attached a picture of what I feel THEIR tattoos should all look like. :)

(I'm not entirely confident that most of our elected officials have read that document, let alone 'seen' it....but, I would definitely vote for them to all have this be their new tattoo...)

Response by SGT Ben Keen made Jun 30 at 2015 10:24 AM

SGT Ben Keen — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 10:24:30 -0400

He can join me in getting this tattoo.

Response by Jordan Gaudard made Jun 30 at 2015 10:32 AM

Jordan Gaudard — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 10:32:41 -0400

I say he should get the battlefield cross tattoo on the side of the leg so it will show when he is in summer APFU.

Response by PFC Gade Miller made Jul 7 at 2015 5:08 PM

PFC Gade Miller — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 17:08:49 -0400

Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made Jul 7 at 2015 10:45 PM

SSG (ret) William Martin — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 22:45:16 -0400

He needs to make it into a reality TV show and sell it to the stations.

Response by SSG Dukain Manning made Jul 8 at 2015 12:36 PM

SSG Dukain Manning — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 12:36:04 -0400

https://www.facebook.com/ARTICLE15CLOTHING/videos/ [login to see] 34227/?__mref=message_bubble

An official Invitation to SMA Dailey - Article 15 Clothing | Facebook

When SMA Dailey has finally picked his tattoo design we are asking him to come join us and soldiers from Fort Bliss for a day at "Do's and Tattoos" in El...

Response by LTC Kevin B. made Jul 14 at 2015 12:27 PM

LTC Kevin B. — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 12:27:04 -0400

Nice gesture, and it should be fun to follow the story.

However, sometimes things like this turn out bad. I went to a university that asked the students for ideas for a new mascot. We were the LSU-Shreveport Pilots (after the river boat pilots), and the administration was looking to change it because nobody really liked it very much. The two finalists from the student vote? The LSU-Shreveport "Tigers" and the LSU-Shreveport "Thundering Nutria Rats". The former was too close to the LSU Tigers (the main institution in the LSU system, who would have killed the idea anyways), and the latter was deemed too juvenile. The administration just ended the whole contest and kept the Pilots.

Response by SSG Stephen Arnold made Jul 17 at 2015 7:00 PM

SSG Stephen Arnold — Fri, 17 Jul 2015 19:00:52 -0400

I never cared if someone had a tattoo when I was on active duty, and apparently the SMA does not either. That does not equate to WANTING a tattoo.

Silliness.

Response by SGT Ben Keen made Sep 3 at 2015 12:36 PM

SGT Ben Keen — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 12:36:13 -0400

And here it is TSgt Joshua Copeland, got it done last night and this picture was taken by the tattoo artist as soon as she was done. I think the placement of the tattoo really set it apart from my other piece of art. Not only does it flow well with my arm but I wanted to keep it close to my heart. Getting it done near the armpit though made it one of the more painful pieces I got but it is all worth it in the end.

Response by PVT Elaine Mercer Willis made Jul 23 at 2018 6:09 AM

PVT Elaine Mercer Willis — Mon, 23 Jul 2018 06:09:54 -0400

I love this tatoo.....I have a question for the SMA that is rather strange....

Response by LTC James McElreath made Mar 12 at 2019 8:05 PM

LTC James McElreath — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 20:05:32 -0400

Joshua,
It takes a big jump to ones ego to realize they had made a mistake. There is no reason to take an right away, and it be nothing more than a tat. Then we have the ridicules mustache, changing the Army Dress Uniform again! The last change appeared to make since but Pinks and Greens? They did not look good to start with. Well anyway for some reason the Army gets a new Command SGM and they find a need to change everything