Posted on Mar 31, 2016
The Navy just approved the military's best tattoo rules
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The Navy is easing its tattoo policy in a bid to recruit and retain more sailors from the millennial generation, of whom more than 1 in 3 sport body art.
Sailors will be allowed to have neck tattoos, sleeves and even markings behind their ears under the new policy, the most lenient of any military service. Only their heads are off limits under the new policy, which the Navy's top sailor has called a reality check on the permanent art favored by sailors.
“We just got to the point where we realized we needed to be honest with ourselves and put something in place that was going to reflect the realities of our country and the needs of our Navy,” Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (AW/NAC) Mike Stevens said in a March 30 interview. “We need to make sure that we’re not missing any opportunities to recruit and retain the best and the brightest because of our policies.”
The new rules, announced Thursday and taking effect April 30, will allow sailors to:
•Have multiple or large tattoos below the elbow or knee, including the wrists and hands, effectively allowing sleeve tattoos that can be seen even while wearing short sleeve uniforms.
•Have one tattoo on their neck, which includes behind the ear, and it may not exceed 1 inch in length or height in either or both directions.
•Sailors with visible tattoos will now be eligible for recruiting duty or leading recruits at boot camp in Great Lakes, Illinois. These tough assignments often give sailors a leg up to make rank.
The rules do not change the Navy’s content guidelines that apply to body art “anywhere on the body,” the policy says.
What do you think of the new tattoo rules and what other changes would you like to see to for permitted piercings, tattoos, and branding? Tell us at [login to see] .
The service reiterated these in the updated policy, banning “tattoos that are obscene, sexually explicit, and or advocate discrimination based on sex, race, religion, ethnicity, or national origin."
“In addition, tattoos that symbolize affiliation with gangs, supremacist or extremist groups, or advocate illegal drug use are prohibited — waivers will not be given for tattoos with prohibited content,” the service said.
The updated tattoo policy does not apply to Marines, even ones serving at Navy commands, according to a spokesman for Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Robert Neller. The Marines are easing their tattoo rules but do not allow sleeves, which would be visible with short-sleeved uniforms like PT uniforms.
In 2015, the Army updated its rules to allow sleeve tattoos, but it does not permit soldiers to have ink on their necks or hands, which would be visible in the Army Service Uniform.
Sailors tattoos must be documented in the administrative remarks section of their service record.
Sailors found to have tattoos with prohibited content could face disciplinary action and even involuntary discharge. It’s left up to commanding officers to decide what crosses the line. Typically, sailors are allowed to have tattoos removed or modified to eliminate any banned content before they are disciplined.
Beyond what’s stated in the policy, don’t expect a laundry list of do's and don'ts.
“There are just so many variables when you look at tattoo language and tattoo art that it’s just not reasonable to try and identify a set list of what is and what isn’t acceptable,” Stevens said. “This is one of those areas where we trust this senior leadership, our triads, to be able to look at something in its context, using the chain of command and having discussions amongst themselves as to whether something is appropriate or not.”
Lincoln. (Photo: MC3 Ciarra C. Thibodeaux/Navy)
Stevens said the changes came from sailors' feedback, with many complaining that their body art unfairly barred them from jobs like recruit division commanders that can help them get advanced.
Stevens said he believes that society is more accepting of tattoos, with some estimates that as much as nearly half of the demographic the military recruits from has tattoos.
"This isn’t official, but in my research, I saw estimates that the percentage of people with tattoos in the 18 to 25 age group as being between 37 and 40 percent," he said. That's not an insignificant number."
Sailors will be allowed to have neck tattoos, sleeves and even markings behind their ears under the new policy, the most lenient of any military service. Only their heads are off limits under the new policy, which the Navy's top sailor has called a reality check on the permanent art favored by sailors.
“We just got to the point where we realized we needed to be honest with ourselves and put something in place that was going to reflect the realities of our country and the needs of our Navy,” Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (AW/NAC) Mike Stevens said in a March 30 interview. “We need to make sure that we’re not missing any opportunities to recruit and retain the best and the brightest because of our policies.”
The new rules, announced Thursday and taking effect April 30, will allow sailors to:
•Have multiple or large tattoos below the elbow or knee, including the wrists and hands, effectively allowing sleeve tattoos that can be seen even while wearing short sleeve uniforms.
•Have one tattoo on their neck, which includes behind the ear, and it may not exceed 1 inch in length or height in either or both directions.
•Sailors with visible tattoos will now be eligible for recruiting duty or leading recruits at boot camp in Great Lakes, Illinois. These tough assignments often give sailors a leg up to make rank.
The rules do not change the Navy’s content guidelines that apply to body art “anywhere on the body,” the policy says.
What do you think of the new tattoo rules and what other changes would you like to see to for permitted piercings, tattoos, and branding? Tell us at [login to see] .
The service reiterated these in the updated policy, banning “tattoos that are obscene, sexually explicit, and or advocate discrimination based on sex, race, religion, ethnicity, or national origin."
“In addition, tattoos that symbolize affiliation with gangs, supremacist or extremist groups, or advocate illegal drug use are prohibited — waivers will not be given for tattoos with prohibited content,” the service said.
The updated tattoo policy does not apply to Marines, even ones serving at Navy commands, according to a spokesman for Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Robert Neller. The Marines are easing their tattoo rules but do not allow sleeves, which would be visible with short-sleeved uniforms like PT uniforms.
In 2015, the Army updated its rules to allow sleeve tattoos, but it does not permit soldiers to have ink on their necks or hands, which would be visible in the Army Service Uniform.
Sailors tattoos must be documented in the administrative remarks section of their service record.
Sailors found to have tattoos with prohibited content could face disciplinary action and even involuntary discharge. It’s left up to commanding officers to decide what crosses the line. Typically, sailors are allowed to have tattoos removed or modified to eliminate any banned content before they are disciplined.
Beyond what’s stated in the policy, don’t expect a laundry list of do's and don'ts.
“There are just so many variables when you look at tattoo language and tattoo art that it’s just not reasonable to try and identify a set list of what is and what isn’t acceptable,” Stevens said. “This is one of those areas where we trust this senior leadership, our triads, to be able to look at something in its context, using the chain of command and having discussions amongst themselves as to whether something is appropriate or not.”
Lincoln. (Photo: MC3 Ciarra C. Thibodeaux/Navy)
Stevens said the changes came from sailors' feedback, with many complaining that their body art unfairly barred them from jobs like recruit division commanders that can help them get advanced.
Stevens said he believes that society is more accepting of tattoos, with some estimates that as much as nearly half of the demographic the military recruits from has tattoos.
"This isn’t official, but in my research, I saw estimates that the percentage of people with tattoos in the 18 to 25 age group as being between 37 and 40 percent," he said. That's not an insignificant number."
The Navy just approved the military's best tattoo rules
Posted from navytimes.com
Navy
Tattoos
Posted >1 y ago
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I was hoping this post would catch like wild fire. Largely ignoring RP for a few months because of the incendiary nature of most of the conversations, this is the perfect place for this article.
This may become a policy, but if one of my new checkins walks in with a huge neck tattoo it will effect they way he or she is looked at. If you are silly enough to place a permanent tattoo on your neck, than you are not the professional we are looking for in the Navy. To each his or her own.
The most offensive part of this is allowing for "tatted" Sailors to become RDC's. I am reporting to RDC duty this summer and this really shows me what the Navy thinks of that billet. Why did I have to do all that paperwork when I applied if this is what squared away means to them? All of the gouge on RTC duty seems to imply that they only take the best of the best and the most squared away Sailors. If someone with a zip code tattoo on his or her neck is the most squared away Sailors we have, than we are in trouble. Whats next, Blue Angel Billet with neck tats? Hopefully they put these Sailors on the 7 deck or maybe scrubbing out the bilge where no one can see them.
Full disclosure, I do have two tattoos.
This may become a policy, but if one of my new checkins walks in with a huge neck tattoo it will effect they way he or she is looked at. If you are silly enough to place a permanent tattoo on your neck, than you are not the professional we are looking for in the Navy. To each his or her own.
The most offensive part of this is allowing for "tatted" Sailors to become RDC's. I am reporting to RDC duty this summer and this really shows me what the Navy thinks of that billet. Why did I have to do all that paperwork when I applied if this is what squared away means to them? All of the gouge on RTC duty seems to imply that they only take the best of the best and the most squared away Sailors. If someone with a zip code tattoo on his or her neck is the most squared away Sailors we have, than we are in trouble. Whats next, Blue Angel Billet with neck tats? Hopefully they put these Sailors on the 7 deck or maybe scrubbing out the bilge where no one can see them.
Full disclosure, I do have two tattoos.
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PO1 (Join to see)
I agree with the RTC duty to an extent, but what if a sailor had the tattoo prior to joining and is a legit squared away sailor? Personally I think that making it not an automatic disqualification for RTC duty can open up the billets to some who may have otherwise been disqualified solely on the fact that they had a visible tattoo. Now if someone was accepted to RTC or recruiting duty and decided to get an obvious tattoo in route, that person should probably get checked the moment they arrive on board.
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PO1 (Join to see)
I stand by my opinion that we cannot let Sailors or civilians do stupid things when they are young and use that as an excuse. Well I got that illuminati tattoo on my lower arm when I was 18 and stupid, says Sailor who wants to go to RTC. Sorry shipmate, if you are old enough to vote you are old enough to know that doing something stupid can follow you. I got a DUI when I was 17 and it still follows and haunts me 15 years later. I spent a 7 years being passed over for jobs and promotions because of it. At least I knew the military would take me. Wanna be taken serious in life, make good decisions.
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I wish the designs and statements of tattoos were more obvious. I honestly cannot fathom the intent of many tattoos! SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
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