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fulmetaljackass
06-01-04, 01:06 PM
This question is especially for Marines currently on recruiting duty or Marines who work at a MEPS.

Here's my situation: I got most of the tattoos I have while in the Marine Corps, to include tattoos on my shins and one on my right wrist. Those can be seen in pt gear, but I never was reprimanded for them, and even my company CO at the time told me he liked them. This was in '98 and '99. I was young(er) and dumb(er) and I decided to see what life held outside the Corps. Over the years, I realized that no amount of money can replace the brotherhood I had, and I finally decided to do something about that. Adding to the tattoos visible in pt gear, I now have one on my inner forearm. None of my tattoos are racial or gang related, and I even had the rebel flag on my back covered up to clarify that fact. D!m&, am I long winded or what? Anyway, the recruiter in my town (at a sub? RSS) said rather than waste my time by going to MEPS, take photos and write a letter about them, which I did. I called every few days to check up on things, only to hear that he hadn't heard anything about me being able to get a waiver (as in he had heard neither yay nor nay). Realizing that I couldn't make anything happen by bugging the recruiter every few days, I just told him to call me when he heard something.

The next time I heard from him was when I went with my best friend to one of his DEP meetings, and the recruiter took me in to his SNCOIC and just said, "Remember this guy?" I didn't even have the heart to ask about the waiver. Well, there's only one permanent defeat I can think of, and I ain't dead yet, so does anyone have any info I could use regarding this situation? Shouldn't the fact that I've already been in the Marine Corps and had most of my tattoos (and I'd take a belt sander to these things if it'd help) have some bearing on the matter? Any info you can offer me is greatly appreciated, even if it's not what I want to hear.

enviro
06-01-04, 02:03 PM
Try this link -

http://www.marineocs.com/portal/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=65


I would go in there and ask WTF?

HardJedi
06-01-04, 02:36 PM
Good Lord. Why are tattoos such a bad thing? Do they affect your heart? your integrity? your honor? Your shooting skill? Whjat a load of CRAP!

fulmetaljackass
06-01-04, 04:05 PM
Thanks for the article, enviro. I think the kicker may be the number. I have tribal work on my legs, and each piece of a tattoo (even if it's part of the same tattoo, but not connected) counts as a separate one. There are so many pieces in the work on my legs that the recruiter just gave up counting and rounded off.

kentmitchell
06-02-04, 02:31 PM
Hey Jackass, you know the Corps: Right way, wrong way, Marine Corps way
This year it means not too many tattoos, I guess
I saw a two-hour docu on USMC recruiting on A&E recently. They go through hell to beg a kid to join. In you, they had a hot one and not only that, someone who knows what he's doing, and they shut him out.
Makes you want to holler

fulmetaljackass
06-03-04, 02:39 PM
kentmitchell....I want to voice an opinion that I don't think belongs in the forums. E-mail me @ justin_a_p1977@yahoo.com would ya, please?