Tattoo Policies in the Military

Tattoos

Introduction

Studies suggest that many more individuals in the United States are acquiring tattoos in the current day. Consequently, a large number of service members in the United States military have tattoos on various parts of their skin. Over the years, tattoos have been discouraged and regulated by military policies. Service members are prohibited from having tattoos on various parts of the body, especially the visible parts of the body. Certain tattoos which depict extremist or gang groups, sexism, or racial and ethnic discrimination are also not allowed in the military. Each branch of the military has its own policy as well as the level of leniency or restriction on tattoos. The primary purpose of this paper is to make arguments for and against the issue of the military tattoo policy, while also providing a brief overview on tattoos and military tattoo policies.

Overview and statistics on tattoos

A tattoo can be described as a marking made simply by inserting indelible ink into the skin for various reasons, one being, for artistic reasons. Tattoos are quite common among service members. There is no military branch in the United States which fully restrict or prohibit tattoos on service members. It is estimated that about forty-five percent of adults in the United States today have tattoos. This by far the largest percentage among other countries, all over the world. In the United States, the military presents as the job industry with the highest number of tattooed staff. Most people, even in the United States, still feel that visible tattoos may reduce one’s chances of getting a job in any job industry. Tattoos are mostly done in tattoo parlors with sufficient cleaning supplies and tools for piercing. Other people may also perform low-standard tattoos at their homes or in places such as the army barracks. This practice, however, is not encouraged as it may subject individuals to various infections.

In the military, the issue of tattoos is regarded differently. Tattoos or tattooing is done according to military regulations. While most of these regulations apply to every service member, each military branch has its own sets of policies regarding tattoos and tattooing. In the past, tattoos, especially visible tattoos, were highly restricted or prohibited in the military. In the year 2015, new policies for tattoos in the military were implemented. Unlike other job industries, people do not need to worry about their chances of qualifying in line with their tattoos. They simply have to adhere to the tattoo policies of the military branch they intend to join. As long as one conforms to the tattoo policies, there is no problem of having his or her body tattooed.

Tattoo Policies in the Military

In 2015 the United States military came up with policies to reduce restriction of on tattoos in the force. The policy, however, highlighted various aspects of tattooing which are not allowed in the force. According to Townsend et al. (2017), t he army prohibits tattoos that may be considered offensive such as tattoos depicting extremism, indecent tattoos, sexist and racist tattoos. The army does not allow tattoos on the face, head, on the neck, wrist and hands. In the navy, members are not supposed to have visible tattoos with gang signs. Tattoos which draw concern among others or jeopardize cohesion of units are not allowed in the Navy as of 2015. Recently though, the navy made a move to ease its tattoo policy by allowing sailors to have tattoos on the neck, sleeves and behind the ears. The tattoo policy of the United States Marines is even more restricted as compared to that of the other military branches.

Arguments in favor of Military Tattoo Policies

People without tattoos or any form of visible markings or cuts on the skins are normally considered as decent, humble, or good people. On the other hand, those with fierce markings or ugly cuts on their skins or bodies are often feared by other people. While the military recognizes the right of people to have tattoos on their bodies if they so desire, it also thrives to maintain the legacy and the decency in the military. Therefore, if a military member wishes to have a tattoo, he or she must adhere to the military policy on tattoos. This way, a military member gets to have the tattoo while at the same time uphold the decency in the military. Decency and respect are some of the important values in the military.

The military has people from all walks of life; people from different racial and ethnic groups, both women and men, the young and old. Having tattoos which depict aspects of racism or ethnicity, pointed towards a particular race or ethnic group is not a good thing in such an environment. Sexist tattoos may also provoke other members affecting the cohesion of units in the military. Extremist tattoos such as those with gang images or signs may draw unrest, anxiety or concerns from other members thereby affecting cohesion and readiness of the force. Today, there exist even intersex individuals in the military. Tattoos which depict or tend to discriminate such groups of people may affect their conduct and readiness. The policy is, therefore, necessary to ensure that such tattoos are discouraged in the military.

The main aim of the tattoo policy in the military is not to discourage tattoos but to regulate them based on how they can affect the overall conduct and readiness of the members of the military. The policy should not be seen as a bad law that degrades human rights but as a law in favor of upholding cohesion, harmony and coexistence in the military. It takes to account the fact that the current generation is quite obsessed with tattoos as asserted by Townsend et al. (2017) . The policy allows members to have non-prohibited tattoos on most parts of their covered body parts. In some of the military branches, the policy on tattoos is even much more lenient, allowing members to have tattoos in some of the visible areas such as the neck region. At the same time, it also ensures that tattoos which may disrupt cohesion and harmony in the military, and bring about any form of discrimination, are prohibited. Military tattoo policies are therefore quite significant in a lot of ways.

Other Reasons why Tattoos are discouraged in the Military

Other than the prohibited tattoos there are other reasons why tattoos have been discouraged in the military for a long time. The main concern on tattoos and tattooing in the military is the issue of barracks tattooing. As the military is the job industry in the United States with the highest number of members with tattoos, not all the members get to have their tattoos done at the tattoo parlors. A good number of the military guys have had their tattoos in the barracks. The ease of access, the lower prices of the barrack tattoos, are some of the reasons why some of the servicemen choose to have their tattoos done in the barracks.

This is an issue of concern as it exposes the members to health risks. Other than this, it also diverts the attention of those who offer tattoo services from the military’s main agendas. In general, the whole thing affects the cohesion in the military units and readiness of the force. Most of those who perform tattooing in the barracks do not have the cleaning tools or sufficient sterile equipment. They can, therefore, spread serious diseases such as hepatitis B or C, fungal infections, HIV/AIDS, Herpes, Chronic liver disease among other diseases. These are some of the most feared, most serious infection in the modern day. Contracting any of these diseases may not only affect the health of the service members but also affect the overall conduct and readiness of the force. The risk of contracting some of these diseases is higher in uncontrolled areas such as in the U.S. barracks in Iraq. Some of these diseases may quickly take service members out of important duties or fights. This has been one of the reasons why tattooing in the military has been discouraged for a long time.

Arguments against Military Tattoo Policies

Before 2015, the military was highly restrictive on the issue of tattoos. Service members raised concerns over the issue and influenced the military to renew the policy and make it more lenient. Even then, most people still feel that there should be nor policies restricting or prohibiting tattoos in the military. Through democracy, most people feel that having a tattoo is a choice and a right of an individual, one which he or she should not be denied. While the current military tattoo policies have allowed members to have tattoos in specified visible body locations, it is still not enough. Others want to explore more places, have more artistic works on the various forbidden parts of their bodies. While there is more leniency in the navy, on the issue of tattoos, in the U.S. Marines, the restrictions on tattoos are quite strong. Visible tattoos are prohibited in the U.S. Marines. One of the purposes of having a tattooed skin is to expose it to the world and let people admire it. One can imagine the kind of struggle such an individual may be going through.

It had been noted that most people were reluctant to enlist in the military due to the restriction on tattoos and the military tattoo policies. This was one of the reasons why the military adjusted its leniency on tattoos and came up with new policies regarding tattoos in the military in 2015. Moreover, the navy, again in 2017, changed their policy on tattoos allowing members to have tattoos in other uncovered body locations such as the neck region. This was mainly done to attract more people into the navy. In other words, the policies and the restrictions on tattoos have discouraged enlistment of recruits. Those who love to have and show off their tattoos would not be willing to join the military, especially if they have other options.

General Pros and Cons of Tattoos

There are many general pros of tattoos. These include self-expression, the creation of new communities, beauty and art among others. The cons associated with tattoos include the risk of health, putting body a person on display and limiting one's career path. A tattoo has the power to say something about an individual. They express an aspect of a person's personality. People who love tattoos may become friends or come together to form groups or small communities. Tattooing is a form of artistry with artists trying to come up with sophisticated body markings each time. A person's tattoo is his or her own art as the person gets to choose what tattoos to have on his or her body. The tattoo represents a particular aspect of a person's individuality, likes or preference. This simple art will stay on the body forever, always reminding the person of his individuality ( Esposito, 2015) . It is also imagined that well-made tattoos will look even more elegant and amazing in old age.

As discussed earlier, one of the main concerns on tattoos is the issue of health as some of those who offer the services are either not qualified or do not have sufficient sterile equipment or piercing tools for performing tattooing. Individuals may therefore contract various deadly diseases in the quest of getting tattoos. Tattoos which were done years ago today seem to be fading. Bleedings on tattooed skins are also associated with old age. This suggests that tattoos may not look good when a person ages. Tattoos put the body of an individual on constant display. People will always ask an individual about his or her tattoos, something which can be very annoying. A majority of people still believe that having tattoos, especially visible ones, may greatly reduce the chance of getting good jobs or going up the corporate ladder.

Conclusion

The discussions above present both sides of having policies that regulate tattoos in the military. While it is important to allow individuals to have tattoos as they so desire, it is equally important to regulate these tattoos in order to safeguard the objects of the military. Therefore, it is more important for these policies to be in place. The navy tattoo policy as discussed above, is most lenient, allowing members to have more visible tattoos. The discussion also provides a brief overview on tattoos, various tattoo stats and the general pros and cons of having tattoos. In conclusion, the benefit of having policies to regulate tattoos in the military is greater as compared to the reason against the tattoo policies.

References

Townsend, M., Kamel, H., Vassallo, R. R., & Bravo, M. D. (2017, September). Tattoo Policy and Impact on Donor Base. In TRANSFUSION (Vol. 57, pp. 38A-38A). 111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA: WILEY.

Esposito, N. (2015). "Expression Is Camouflaged." Government, Politics & Global Studies Undergraduate Publications . 2.  http://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/gov_stu/2