Army Relaxes Tat Standards for Recruits
David sends us the news Big Army has decided small tats on hands, ears and necks are just peachy. We all know changes like this never happen in a vacuum. One wonders what the incentive might be? If you guessed desperate for new bodies in the ranks, you’d be correct.
Hand, ear and neck tattoos now OK for soldiers amid recruiting crunch
By Davis Winkie
The military is struggling to find recruits right now, and the Army is no exception. With three months remaining in fiscal 2022, the service has only attained 40% of its enlisted recruiting goal, according to Army G-1 spokesperson Maj. Angel Tomko.
And that’s part of why Army Secretary Christine Wormuth issued a new policy authorizing troops to have small tattoos on their hands, ears and necks, Army officials explained Thursday morning.
Wormuth signed a directive Wednesday that expanded the service’s acceptable tattoo policy. The changes will be incorporated in the next update to AR 670-1, the Army’s appearance regulation.
The following tattoos are now authorized, according to the directive:
- One visible tattoo on each hand less than one inch in measurement. This tattoo cannot be on the fingers, though one ring tattoo per hand is okay, as are “an unlimited number of tattoos between the fingers, as long as they are not visible when the fingers are closed.”
- One tattoo on the back of a soldier’s neck, less than two inches in measurement.
- One tattoo behind each ear, no larger than one inch in measurement and not extending beyond the ear lobe.
Fortunately makeup tattoos, such as those that darken eyebrows or mimic eyeliner, remain authorized. With all this, potential recruits are staying away in droves. Wonder why?
Thanks, David.
Category: "Teh Stoopid", Big Army, Get woke, Guest Link
If I knew that tats would be so popular today, I never would have gotten those 5 on my arms. Before they came into vogue, one would get lots of looks. Mil people, Ex cons and bikers were the ones with the tats at that time.
When I was a wet-ear kid, we joined a new church plant on the edges of Houston (then) – where a lot of the men had been military and/or oilfield, with the tats.
Seeing what a tat looked like on a 60-year-old man turned me off of ever getting one myself.
The cauliflower ears of one fellow who had, shall we say, lived a rather colorful life before Christ also warned me away from bar fights.
My mother said if I ever got a tatoo she would have it
cauterized.
When I was leaving after basic and tech school, I met a woman in the St. Louis airport who bought me drinks divorced with her daughters traveling to her new life.
She befriended a young airman and asked me as an American to do her two favors knowing that I was leaving for a year and a half in Japan;
1. Don’t get a tattoo. I assured her I would not. I learned my lesson as a teenager when my 60-year-old stepfather had a 45 year old navy tattoo removed. It was an anchor and something else I don’t know what it was but he was embarrassed by it because after 40 years to become an inky blotch on his arm. Lasers weren’t a big thing in the 80s so the way they had to remove it was fillet his arm. That did it for me. 2. The second thing she asked me was to not bring anything back to the United States that I didn’t take over there. I did not either individuals or viruses. 😜🤣
Hmmm. Looks like your church proves the maxim that some people exist simply as a warning to others. Must have had pretty interesting services!
The men, when I knew them, were no longer that wild (in front of me). They were good examples of what God’s grace can do!
The guy with the cauliflowered ears was still one you wanted on your side in any fight, though. Just keep him away from the booze. 😂
So…you went to church with “Tiger Man” McCool?
https://youtu.be/JRWlnv0_svU
Could be, Stranger. Or the inspiration for that song.
I had “The Winner” running through my head as an earworm just a few days ago for some reason.
Me too, because the name McCool showed up
on some paperwork.
My son is tatted and has a ZZ Top beard..looks like he just got released from prison, BUT, raised his niece from birth (now 18 he’s 46) works full time, never a traffic ticket or been arrested…
They also just dropped education requirements, on top of reducing our force structure. I wonder how long before they are desperate enough to consider my decidedly unwoke ideas such as canning all the stupid crap. But then I am clearly not in charge.
Hey, I want manbuns, scraggly beards and offensive tat sleeves down to my fingertips like hipster “woke” police departments have! /sarc
Don’t forget facial piercings. I want to see everything you mention, plus some of those ear gauges and a nose ring on a dude wearing one of those Chinese-made blue pizza berets.
Don’t forget nipple rings.
… or pierced labia/scrotums!
So… is this gonna help the dotgov to get all ‘nukes and F-15s’ on our asses for not disarming?
It’s been awhile since I’ve been threatened and I’m jonesing for an ‘implication of democide’ fix.
Maybe just find better people by not sucking, and if the pool is shallow, get the right people by incentives WITHFKINGOUT dropping standards.
But what would I know?
They go woke, can’t get recruits.
Then lower standards to get recruits they probably do not want or need.
Way to go Army.
SECARMY is a fool.
A wise man once said “Plant potatoes, get potatoes”.
They’ve been bleeding personnel because they treat people like shit and worry more about equipment and looking right than personnel.
Add to that civilian businesses are begging people to work and giving better benefits than the military, so why join?
The worst part is, 15-20 years ago when we were at war in two places, standards were relaxed because we needed more people to deploy for war. Now, there’s no excuse other than the Army isn’t a good place to be and there are far better options.
And then, if I recall right in 2013-2014, those same guys that got waived in got booted back out with their honorable wartime service.
Don’t forget that Big Mil is kicking good people out because they won’t take the Not-A-Vaxx-Jab, even though so much has been proven that the Not-A-Vaxx-Jab is not only NOT helpful, it’s harmful.
What’s the difference between the military and a cult again?
My father, Richard (1918 -1984), joined the Marines in 1939. He got two tattoos at his first duty station. On one of his forearms, the eagle, globe, and anchor, and on the other, a waving American flag (in color). That was it, just the two tattoos. I suspect my dad’s tattoos might be considered “old school” by today’s standards.
As kids, when we sat for dinner, Mom sometimes said, “Look at your father’s tattoos. Don’t get tattoos like your father. Look how terrible they look.”
I don’t know if Mom tried to shape out behavior, pick at my dad, or both. Whatever her reasons, none of us got tattoos.
I never ever understood the fascination with tattoos, and I never wanted one. I understand (I guess) guys doing it like some sort of peacock, but women…nope. There are few hotties (aside from the ink) at my gym that got sleeves, back, shoulder, inside of the forearms and what not all inked up. Those are red flags and a hard pass.
I spent a big part of my life AVOIDING letting other people mark me up or put holes in me. No need to pay for it now.
I had a Marine in my platoon with two bluebirds on his chest, one on each side with a ribbon in their beaks saying “Joe & Ida”. A couple of months in Nam he got a Dear John letter from Ida. He was some pissed! Said ” I’me gonna blow her brains out with a .45!”
My very first team chief had a heart tattoo inside his forearm. Ex-wife’s name still in it. With a line through it.
Just like a comedian once said – tats on head, neck and hands are a big f*** you to a job with benefits. I agree.
And even worse. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/06/24/army-drops-requirement-high-school-diploma-amid-recruiting-crisis.html
Name edited to protect PII.
AW1
Just like what Jimmeh Kahtuh did during his time in Office.
Lower standards of eligibility and give them more money.
Wat could go wrong?
I laugh. So much for the “higher standards” of a volunteer Army.
Of course, given what goes on in high schools these days, and their low standards, quitting may be a sign of intelligence; why waste time in HS for free when you can get paid by the Army to get all sorts of training plus a GED.
Back in the stone age (1942-1974) USAFI (US Armed Forces Institute) provided educational support from GED to free college courses. Now it is handled by DANTES, which also provides tuition reimbursement.
Ive got a ‘half sleeve’ from shoulder to upper bicep of my family crest. Traced my family lineage from coming over from France to England during the Norman conquest. Military service during the Crusades, the Revolution, Civil War, World War II, Vietnam, and Afghanistan. Figured if couldn’t be proud of a history like that, what COULD I be proud of?
Waited until I retired to get it. None of my kids want tattoos…and im okay with that.
I always was impressed (not) with the dudes that put their entire 201 file on their body.
No identifying marks.
Really? I hear tell that you have the Yuengling eagle tattooed on you. 🤣🍺
This reg comes and goes with the need for recruits. I wonder if they are processing felony waivers as well?