Army tattoo policy changes again
Yeah, see this is why I was so happy that the new Sergeant Major of the Army was of the same caliber of SMA Dan Dailey – a warrior, not a garri-commando like his predecessor. The Army Times reports that SMA Dailey has announced a new policy on tattoos. I saw it yesterday, but I thought that I’d wait a day to write about it, you know because yesterday was April Fool’s Day;
In a Q&A session with soldiers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, one solder stood up and argued that tattoos should be allowed, so long as they are not visible when a soldier is in his dress uniform.
“How many of you agree with that?” Dailey asked the group of about 100 soldiers. Almost all of them immediately raised their hands.
After his session with the soldiers, Dailey told Army Times he was surprised by the soldiers’ almost overwhelming opposition to the tattoo policy.
So you have a sergeant major who listens to your concerns instead of dictating his personal prejudices.
Under the new policy, there are no longer limits on the size or number of tattoos soldiers can have on their arms and legs, Dailey said.
Soldiers are still not allowed to have tattoos on their neck, head, face, wrists or hands. The exception is a ring tattoo on each hand, Dailey said.
Also banned are tattoos that are sexist, racist, extremist and derogatory, he said.
“Those have not changed, regardless of position or location,” he said
See, how easy that is? No need for annual inspections and inventory of tattoos. I had high hopes for this leadership change at the Department of the Army and it looks like SMA Dailey has his head screwed on correctly.
Category: Army News
Now if the goddamn Marine Corps can pull it’s head out of it’s ass and follow suit, we might have something here. It is amazing to me how much time and energy is devoted to fucking tattoo’s. They have become like forbidden fruit. Telling the troops they cannot have them just makes them more determined to “stick it to the man” and get some ink. And I wonder how many great gunfighters got told to hit the bricks because they had tattoo’s that made leadership uncomfortable. Kudo’s SMA Dailey for attempting to bring some clear headed thinking to something that has eaten up too much time and effort that could be expended on shit that matters. Like, you know, training for war…..
Maybe. Also, I accudentally “reported” this post when I intended to reply…my bad
http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story/military/2015/03/25/marines-to-review-tattoo-policy/70426482/
Well said….. Lets talk about training for the troops before the get deployed and our increased danger in Iran…
Thanks Jonn, it’s good to be reminded we have lots of guys who get it right all the time….sometimes when all you read about are the fuckups you forget that 95% of the guys are great guys doing their job all the time and some of those great guys go on to be even better leaders.
I had a sergeant like this when I transitioned from the 11B M-60 guy to the 11C Fire Direction Center guy…..kept it simple, made a lot of sense and let me do my job with enough leadership to stay on point but not so much I was drowning in micromanaged stupidity….
Sgt. Thigpen wherever you are these days I hope you are doing well…
Good luck to SMA Dailey as well, so far it’s looking good.
We’ve got a Col Thigpen here at Benning, but if its the same guy, he’s changed a lot
It looks like he’s off to a good start, let’s see what else he accomplishes as SMA!
To be honest I had a lot of bad leaders while I was in. My old 1st SGT (SGM Daly now) was not one of them. He is a pragmatist unless you are discussing PT because then his standards are uncompromising. Glad he took me to Iraq, glad he is enlisted top now.
Be still my Heart. A “Soldiers Soldier”? How did he slip past the Pentagon Brain and Balls Transplant team?
CB, I’m thinking more like the Transplant team got butt stroked by an M-14 and told to “Get the Hell away from me, I’ve got NCO business to take care of”.
OK, tattoo policy somewhat squared away. Now on to PT Belts and internet troll ARCOM’s.
“…internet troll ARCOM’s.”
Yup, I can imagine this SMA standing on top of the commander’s desk expressing his disapproval when that crap hit the front office.
Did someone say ARCOM??!!!
http://static.wixstatic.com/media/b0bc8d_2ea387e9ef09412fa78259ecb9c3f3e0.jpg?dn=Watcha_Talkin_Bout.jpg
Ass
What?
No neck tattoos?
I am NEVER joining the Army!
I am with you Master Chief. I always wanted a big Mike Tyson type of facial tattoo. These restrictions on personal expression are KILLING me!!!
I know, right? Next they’ll tell me I can’t wear my hair in its naturally occurring state (commonly referred to as a Jewfro a’la Bob Ross).
Tell them it religious.
GAME OVER!
I’ll just tell them I’m a Maori in a white man’s body and I’ll sue them for discrimination.
You have to be a Gay Maori trapped in a white man’s body that thinks you might be a female in order to sue them for discrimination and win.
That collective sigh of relief you heard is from 42A’s everywhere who can now stop back-dating tattoo docs to ensure Soldiers are grandfathered under the old reg.
One of the best Soldiers I’ve ever met in my life has a tattoo sleeve. He is a grad of the Army GED program from back in the day (seriously, why did we drop that?) and has a GT score higher than I’ve ever seen. He is a man of character, a natural leader who superiors, peers and subordinates alike gravitate to during times of indecision. He has that “thing” people forget exists this day in age – integrity.
After the Army “took a chance” on him, he went on to earn his undergrad degree from University of Phoenix and is working on his masters.
I’ve been writing letters of rec for him to go to OCS now for a while now, and each time his packet is rejected due to his sleeve that extends past his elbow (he’s from American Samoa, he got it VERY young).
He is a great Soldier, and will probably make a better Officer than I ever was. Now that I’m positive this isn’t an April Fool’s prank, I’m going to rifle off another letter today and send it to him, as I know he’s thinking the same thing I am.
What bullshit! A superior candidate for commissioning rejected for something as petty as this.
“…he’s from American Samoa, he got it VERY young.”
Hmmm. I know that many of those tattoos that the Samoans get are cultural. He could probably fight the rejections on that basis. The Army shouldn’t be denied a good officer because of something like that.
Tell him to become a dentist. The Army makes cultural exceptions for dentists.
Or a Chaplain!
Not a chaplain — the Army might try to do like the Navy and throw out a chaplain for voicing his Christian values!
CoverGirl has cover-up makeup that hides stuff like that. I’m sure that there are occasions when it’s appropriate for anyone to wear it. Comes in all skin tones.
Shouldn’t Obummer be involved in this?
What, so he can fix it ’til it’s broke?
Bite. Your. Tongue.
It was my understanding that warriors have always used body art, both tattoo and piercing, to frighten the enemy. I would think big, aggressive men with vivid, wild ink would be a GOOD thing!
The “warrior tattoo” concept is intended to frighten the weak.
Weak people in uniform really hate to be outed. They can become rather vindictive to those that induce bladder malfunctions. Especially when said weakling has reached some level of prestige.
Me personally? I have no use for “ink”, so I have none. You? meh…
What I really care about is two-fold:
– Can you shoot straight?
– Will you stick around with me to fight when the bloodletting starts?
We can work around just about anything else.
Thus “Willing and Able”
Precisely. You said it much better than I could have.
And as an aside, I like all kinds of art, and tattoos are in that category. Some of them I like, and some of them, well…beauty is said to be in the eyes of the beholder… 😉
I don’t have tattoos, and I never had due to my pathological fear of needles. That said, unless they’re a huge distraction – like on the face, neck, etc. – I never saw what the problem was!
And I’ll be the first to say that in addition to listening to Soldiers and implementing common sense policies, this SMA is RIDICULOUSLY HOT!!! So more photos of him will be appreciated!
🙂
SEXIST!!! I’m offended.
I’m offended at your offendedness.
Christ, you two keep this up you’ll be at it all day . . . . (smile)
Ain’t nobody got time for dat, Hondo!
But if anyone can provide objective proof that the SMA is NOT hot, I’d like to see it, because he is most definitely, objectively hot!
😉
I may be the oldest in this bunch but I’m not dead — trust me on this — HE’S HOT!
YESSSS!!! VALIDATION!
I don’t see it. And, I’m still offended.
Oh, bloody hell – don’t get that loop started again . . . . (smile)
It’s kinda boring …just stiring things up. These sexist comments from the women offend me. It’s not like the guys here ever make sexist, crude, lewd, obscene comments about women. /s
Understood, sj. Including the “/s” part. (smile)
keep being offended and the ARCOM will get upgraded to an MSM!
That does it, I’m offended now.
*Pacing furiously up and down hallway of Infidel Manor®™*
Do I get my ARCOM yet?
Have you filed your internet butthurt report, skipping your immediate chain of command/control?
If not, you don’t qualify
WHAT? NO ARCOM?!
Let’s see,… No ID-10T filled out in triplicate, AHHH to hell with it, I hate paperwork!!!
I am offended by your being offended at SJs being offended at your offense! I now demand that you both be censured because I am offended.
OK, got it. Everyone is offended, pacing the hallways of their respective abodes, and looking for an ARCOM.
Now, can we get back to the indisputable pulchritude of the SMA, please?
Thanks!
😉
meh…. he does nothing for me.
Same here. I mean, he’s a decent looking fella, I guess. But no “tingly feelings” here. (smile)
The HAWT men of TAH will always be our favorites, though. You not only have the looks, you have the personality to go with them! 😉
Ok, now I’m really offended. I was going to reference someone that is really HOT (unlike, IMHO, the SMA) and the pix is no longer in the TAH Members Gallery (unless I missed it): Ex-PH2. That was an awesome pix. I hope it wasn’t the DRG actions that caused it to go missing?
I have ink,
The universe is on my left shoulder with the hand of God below it.
I may or may not have a Tattoo of The Road Runner holding up a sign with “Your Name ” on it on my left ass cheeck. My right ass cheek may or may not have Speedy Gonzales Holing up a sign that Says “Su Nombre”
These tattoos may or may not have won me a great deal of money in my younger drinking days.
Peace
Funniest post of the day!
I agree with Nicki. SMA is one hot tamale. Any of you gentlemen who don’t think so can blow it out your barracks bags.
Uh, Ex-PH2 . . . I don’t really think most men generally consider other men “hot”. Period.
Hey, Johnny Storm is hot !!
Yeah. You get to select whether “me, too” refers to being offended, being offended by those who are offended, or in agreement that the new guy is a cutie. Or maybe wanting more pics. But, this entire thing is so utterly offensive that it defies description. And then some.
So there.
This is the beauty for many and the bane of some when it comes to leadership changes. In this instance, the beauty is that the old guard can smile and the bane is that ass kissers are not appreciated, especially internet trolls looking for another ARCOM.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but this is a change back to the old policy that the last policy changed? Its been 9 years since my ETS date, but the new policy sounds exactly the same as the one I was under
I like this SMA Dan Dailey for all the reasons that you list, Jonn. There’s nothing wrong with a little common sense and being reasonable.
I have no tattoos and (as far as I know) none of my four sons have any….none of my business anyway.
BUT………if I did get one, just one, it would be just like the one my person hero, Mike Tyson has on his face. lol
Wasn’t hard to see this coming. Makes sense. A lot of good troops were going to be pushed out over that nonsense.
Holy shit.
Big Army does something good for a change. I’m impressed.
Now, Gen Joseph F. Dunford, Jr, time to reverse course stupid as well.
Don’t say anything, you might spook them into changing it.
Ahhhh something tells me the days of 500lbs people in the army are over about damn time
I would be cautious about that. I never once passed weight standards while I was in. At MEPS, they tried to deny me because I was “overweight” and it took my recruiter and an officer to brow beat the doc into allowing me in. I was 6’4″ and 235 when I went in and 225 when I graduated BCT.
Before you call me a fat-body, you should know that I had a 13% BFI when I went in and 15% after BCT (calisthenics are in no way superior to resistance machines).
One of my best friends in the Corps is in a similar situation. She is broad chested and tapes to 16% BFI, but her commander only sees her as being overweight and has flagged her twice for fitness training. The last time he flagged her, her BC smacked the officer for being an idiot because she was under pregnancy profile.
13 percent is way ok I was 15 over at meps I’m talking about my last trip over in the sandbox we had two soldiers one at 398 lbs that could barely fit in a turret of a 1151 and they called him a gunner and could barely walk he was sporting a profile for no PT. This is the issue I’m talking about.. Up at Al asad a Navy doc had a heart attack when he came in trying to update his profile… Lol So what you are saying I agree I’m talking about morbid Obese…
Damn I was wrong I was 10% when I shipped for BCT and meet standerd at the end of BCT mind me I was 34 223 at 6’2″
So this means I can get those Celt tattoos that say ‘Póg mo thóin’ and ‘Go mbeire an diabhal leis thú’?
Well, I’ll truck right on down to the tattoo parlor and pick out a picture to go with them!
Is Chandler the only person who was in favor of the tattoo ban? It sure seems that way. 🙂
A piece of advice received ‘way back when’ was don’t get any ink you can’t cover up with long sleeves. Even if you think that a suit and job interview is never going to be on your future, one never knows.
About damn time, and I am not talking about tattoos. I couldn’t care less about tattoos. I mean that maybe there is hope for the NCO Corps after all.
I was loosing hope for the NCOS Corps after some of the E-9s I’ve seen over the last few years.
Maybe he’ll develop some crazy new method of leadership where you actually listen to your Soldiers feedback and make decisions accordingly. VERY unorthodox.
For a long time tattoos have been exceptionally popular in the British forces… Army, Navy, and Royal Marines.
The Brits have always made damn fine military men, and those tats do not detract from their ability or even appearance one bit, in my opinion.
I have a few (arms only) tats myself. This thing with the entire arm, calf, or whatever, being a complete tattoo “sleeve,” is a newer phenomenon.
Oh… and SMA Dailey sounds like a good man, I believe he will represent the troops well, and make all the right people uncomfortable.
Just going to leave this here.
All I hvae to say is, “Fuckin’ A.” With a Capital FnA…