Marines place more areas off-limits to tattoos [Forum Archive]

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Marines place more areas off-limits to tattoos

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Posted by: feinburgrl

Marines extend tattoo ban - US news - Military - msnbc.com

OCEANSIDE, Calif. — Five tattooed skulls stretch from Marine Cpl. Jeremy Slaton’s right elbow to his wrist, spelling out the word “Death.” He planned to add a tattoo spelling “Life” on his left arm, but that’s on hold because of a Marine policy taking effect Sunday.
The Marines are banning any new, extra-large tattoos below the elbow or the knee, saying such body art is harmful to the Corps’ spit-and-polish image.
Slaton and other grunts are not pleased.
“I guess I’ll get the other half later,” grumbled the 24-year-old leatherneck from Eden Prairie, Minn. “It’s kind of messed up.”
For many Marines, getting a tattoo is a rite of passage. They commonly get their forearms inscribed to remember fallen comrades, combat tours or loved ones, and often ask for exotic designs that incorporate the Marine motto, Semper Fi, or “Always faithful.”
Dozens of Marines from Camp Pendleton, the West Coast’s biggest Marine base, made last-minute trips to tattoo parlors in nearby Oceanside before the ban kicked in.

Posted by: IronAddict

The new Marine Corps.

This is news to me. Used to be, you couldn't have any visible tatts.

Posted by: LAM

Originally Posted by IronAddict

The new Marine Corps.

This is news to me. Used to be, you couldn't have any visible tatts.

yep...that's how it was when I first went to MEPS in 1988.

Posted by: flexxthese

Sucks but it's good. I remember on a vehicle related board I was a member of, there was a dude in the army that bragged about all his tattoos..his entire neck, chest, arms, hands, etc were completely covered in ink. Now, I love tattoos and have plenty myself, but I think there needs to be a line drawn for the armed forces. This guy literally looked like he just got releases from prison on gangbangin charges. Totally unprofessional looking in fatigues. If you want the ink bad enough...it can wait til your enlistment is up. Though I do feel for the lifers.

Posted by: IronAddict

Originally Posted by LAM

yep...that's how it was when I first went to MEPS in 1988.

Yeah. Things sure have changed.

Posted by: maniclion

We had guys with full sleeves, just weren't allowed to get anything visible above the collar or on the hands. One guy had tats on his neck but those were from before he enlisted.

We have police officers with full sleeves out here....

Posted by: cflores22290

thats a dumb fukin rule, i wonder how long till the army takes the new rule in

Posted by: maniclion

We weren't supposed to wear tank-tops as civilian clothes, I remember that. If you had sleeve tats you were supposed to wear a long sleeve work shirt or a long white shirt under your short sleeve workshirt. If you had sleeve tats our CO made the guys wear Dress whites with long sleeves instead of the work white with short sleeves....

Posted by: maniclion

Originally Posted by cflores22290

thats a dumb fukin rule, i wonder how long till the army takes the new rule in

They are desperate for people so they let up on the restrictions, they can get tats on their hands and necks......next thing you know they'll have guys with pierced noses and eyebrows, face tattoos, plugs in their ears. They'll look like some kind of Barbarian Hoard as they march in rank....

You'd think the Marines would want to look as bad ass as possible, not like dainty pretty boy British Colonial Army fags.....Be like the Maori warriors and make a fearful impression on the enemy....

When I see a gruop of military guys marching around in Waikiki (yeah they don't even realize it but you can catch the guys fresh out of boot marching with each other out of habit) looking like a bunch of goofy Alfred P. Newmans with same haircuts and big ears sticking out I try to think what they look like to people in other countries, if they see them just as goofy... Then you see a group of bikers and think holy shit I wouldn't want to cross these guys on a good day.....

Posted by: LAM

Originally Posted by maniclion

We weren't supposed to wear tank-tops as civilian clothes, I remember that. If you had sleeve tats you were supposed to wear a long sleeve work shirt or a long white shirt under your short sleeve workshirt. If you had sleeve tats our CO made the guys wear Dress whites with long sleeves instead of the work white with short sleeves....

a lot of my buddies from boot camp and A school ended up on either carriers or spruance class destroyers. when I ever we went somewhere and I had free time to catch up with them it seemed like most of their OOD's wouldn't let anyone go on liberty unless they were wearing a collared shirt and had a belt on.

when we were training in Panama...they made it quite clear that nobody in the sf was supposed to get any tats stating such...

Posted by: maniclion

Originally Posted by LAM

Yeah in foreign countries we had to wear collared shirts and shoes not sandals.

We were told not to get tattoos indicating we were in communications, a lot of guys wanted to get the Sparks for Radioman tatted but if someone saw that they'd know you had access to confidential info and might lead to a forced or coerced Johnny Walker scenario....

Posted by: flexxthese

Originally Posted by maniclion

We have police officers with full sleeves out here....

This is true. we have officers will full body tats (except for face)...not sure what you'd call that, a tattoo onesie?! Anywho, guess what dept they put them guys in usually...undercover gang work.

Posted by: maniclion

Originally Posted by perfectcircle

This is true. we have officers will full body tats (except for face)...not sure what you'd call that, a tattoo onesie?! Anywho, guess what dept they put them guys in usually...undercover gang work.

These are street beat guys, but tattoos are more accepted in Hawaii...

Posted by: Curt James

YouTube Video

That was uploaded three years ago. Guess the policy has bounced around a bit.

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Marines place more areas off-limits to tattoos

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