Blake Hall
Over 1,000 signatures.
That’s how many people signed a petition to allow Sgt. Daniel Knapp, a Marine infantry rifleman assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina to continue his military career.
Knapp was recently denied re-enlistment due to body ink — a tattoo he got on his forearm to commemorate his first deployment in 2011 — which goes against the Marine Corps current regulations.
According to the Military Times, he is set to leave the service in June, despite a policy waiver “endorsed by leaders with his parent command”.
“After serving his country bravely for six years with an otherwise top notch record, Sgt Knapp’s lifelong dream of being a career Marine will be ended if this policy is not changed,” the petition states. “…Why should we allow policies to exist that are not in keeping with new cultural norms and let dedicated service men and women accept yet another unfair burden?”
Not only has the Marine deployed to Afghanistan twice, but he received an award for valor during a firefight in Marjah.
More from the Military Times:
While Knapp acknowledges that he violated the Corps’ tattoo regulations, he said many Marines don’t understand what he calls a complicated policy. Even if he can’t save his own career, he said he wants his story to be a cautionary tale for others.
He and his supporters say tattoos have no bearing on a Marine’s abilities in combat, and that the policies should be loosened to reflect changing societal norms.
“When I was in Afghanistan,” Knapp told Marine Corps Times, “my tattoos never stopped me from shooting anyone, and they never made me more of a target. They never stopped me from keeping Marines safe. On patrol nothing ever happened because of my tattoos.”
With the help of a career planner, Knapp applied for a waiver to re-enlist. Most of his command endorsed it, but it was denied by Headquarters Marine Corps, which has the final say on all re-enlistments.
If you’d like to sign or view the petition, click here.