Your Marine Corps view on Tattoos

[Marinewing]

An instructor of ours in Millington was sleeved on one arm, and kept the other ink free right up to his Charlie sleeve line. Then it was solid ink again. He was a Ssgt then, and was going for the whole career so he didn't want the "sleeve" showing in his promotion packages.

He took the common sense approach. Just a biker jarhead, but he knew not everyone would feel the same about tats as he did, so he worked around it.

[10thzodiac]

Smedleys' tattoo covered his entire chest!

[Born Invincible]

An instructor of ours in Millington was sleeved on one arm, and kept the other ink free right up to his Charlie sleeve line. Then it was solid ink again. He was a Ssgt then, and was going for the whole career so he didn't want the "sleeve" showing in his promotion packages.

He took the common sense approach. Just a biker jarhead, but he knew not everyone would feel the same about tats as he did, so he worked around it.

That must have been awhile ago because now the promotion picture is not canted to a degree where the left side is not seen.

FYI, now the Marine is only slightly turned. Also if the Marine is going for a meritorious commissioning program he must take photos of all tattoos.

[Born Invincible]

Smedleys' tattoo covered his entire chest!

Luckily for him he was a Marine in a different era... and his tattoo was covered by his uniform...

[10thzodiac]

Luckily for him he was a Marine in a different era... and his tattoo was covered by his uniform...

Do you think this recruit made it out of boot camp alive !

http://uplink.space.com/showthreaded...&sb=5&o=0&vc=1

SF

#10

[Born Invincible]

ha ha again not a tattoo he had before he joined... the first time...

[10thzodiac]

Sorry for the misleading link. It was not General Carlson with the tatoo, it was the originator of the thread son who recentlly joined the Marines. Could you just imagine if this is true, if he has a large hammer and sickle tatooed on his chest ?

vladward8 cluster 01/02/06 05:36 PM

Re: Son Joins Marines [re: harmonicaman][link to this post]

Thank you all. Informing and comforting. Not much it seems has changed since my time. I really needed to see some of the things you wrote and will ask my son to read them. Perhaps, if he see's other folks telling him some of the same things we have said to him he will take things more seriously; particularly the pt part. He is six four and not fat but certainly not in shape. He will also rue the day he got a large hammer and sickle tatooed on his chest God knows why! I can hear the DI's now. Again thank you all.

[kywolverine44]

I posted another topic concerning a friend of mine that is trying to get into the Corps. He has a full back tat as well as one on his calf and forearm. Due to the tats that he has, he was denied enlistment into the Corps. In a day and age like this, I don't understand the Corps stance on tats. If we were to start the draft up again, would he be allowed in at that time. It makes no sense. He wants to be a 0300, not a fricking poster boy for the Corps.

[wrestler189lbs]

ok so if i get a tatoo of the USA wrestling logo across my traps then i might not be able to get into sniper school or recon? or i might just be wrong and missed the whole point that was coming across in this conversation...more than likely.

[10thzodiac]

https://www.marines.usmc.mil/G3/Offi...%20Vol%207.htm


I only saw one tattoo that I ever thought was cool, a former sailor (BCD) who was given another chance by the Commandant of the Marine Corps. This Lance Corporal was a radioman in my communications section.

During operation “Backpack”, Republic of China we were going down cargo nets in an amphibious landing and he had rolled up his sleeves, our Captain by chance saw his tattoo and had a violent verbal officer fit ! The Captain was just reprimanded by the CG because we had the highest VD rate in the division. The tattoo on his inner forearm was a piece of art; it depicted a sailor and a girl embracing in sex, they were standing and you only saw the back view of the sailor with only his bellbottoms dropped holding the girls right leg up with his left arm with her head over his right shoulder, saying underneath the tattoo, “Until Death Do Us Part.”

Side note: He was serious about death do us part; he told me he was looking for the Gunny that destroyed his happiness (his words). Hmmm, I wonder if he ever caught him, he was a little strange.

SF

#10

[10thzodiac]

UH OH ! be careful of that URL I just gave above, I was over at the official Marine Corps web site and went in the back door (didn't want to give my social security number to get in) and I got this scary message when I re-booted that I had Error Shut Down To Prevent Damage ! A Captain friend of mine just had his hard drive fried after contacting the Defense Department with a message for Pace !

[STA0311]

Hey there WRESTLER....what exactly is it that makes you think that you will get a seat at Sniper School?!?! Or even get past the INDOC into a platoon? As far as your question...yes you can get into SSS with tattoos...I have 2 and still got there.

[LivinSoFree]

How inapropriate is a visible tattoo on an Officer? What does a tat have to do with the ability to lead troops. I know tattoo'd enlisted Marines who have graduated successfully from Infantry Officer's Course(IOC), I know tattoo'd warrant officer's with more knowledge of tactics than any "regular" officer so you can't tell me that a general no tattoo policy is good for the corps. More likely we will lose good and talented men and women to the "lesser services"

It comes down, unfortunately, to the politics of it all. Certainly, an officer's number-one job is to lead Marines, period. And certainly tattoos have no bearing on that. But unfortunately, part of being an officer is playing the ridiculous games that go along with it back in the rear. An officer may be required, at any time, to provide a diplomatic escort, make a statement to the press, appear in public, and generally present the face of the Marine Corps as a disciplined, well-kept group of individuals, which, unfortunately for the general public, often means that they must appear palatable to the most conservative values. Not having ink doesn't offend anyone, but having ink might be seen as objectionable or "lower-class" to those more ignorant than we. Ergo, ink for officers falls within tighter standards.

Does it suck? Absolutely. Is it part of the job? Yes.

Improvise, adapt, overcome, even in the most unpleasant situations. Personally, I'd love to have some ink, but I've held off so far because of the Corps. I don't want something so trivial to be a bar to me contributing to the mission to the best of my ability. One of these days though...

[DeathFromAbove]

I completely agree with STA0311. I dont believe that the Marine Corps has any place dictating what a Marine can put on his body within the lines of good order and disapline. For instance, I have a, Iron cross on my chest with the words "Honor, Courage, Country, Corps" in the branches of the cross in german. It has nothing to do with any twisted "alternative" beliefs, and is simply a dual expression of my Nationality and devotion to my county.

[drumcorpssnare]

A fellow Marine, and friend of mine, knew Chesty Puller. Gen. Puller told Bill, "You're not a REAL Marine 'til you've had Office Hours and gotten a Marine Corps emblem tattoo!"

'nuf said.

(The above is paraphrased)