Blake Hall
The newly tightened Army Regulation 670-1, which limits the number of tattoos a soldier may have below the elbow and knee, is finding some serious backlash and opposition, and may be a real detriment to recruiting.
The restriction that was released last March and updated in September initially stopped soldiers who went against it to request a commission. This was updated in September with a grandfather clause for enlisted seeking a commission or appointment as long as they secured their commander’s endorsement.
In a recent story published by the Army Times, the uproar was seen, heard and recorded firsthand at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State. When the issue was brought up by Sergeant Major Dan Dailey to a group of Warrior Leader Course students, one thing was clear: young men and women love their tattoos.
“I don’t want this to be the deciding factor for a good soldier to get out,” Dailey, who took over as the Army’s top enlisted leader recently told the Army Times. If he finds it to be a “force-wide issue”, he said that action may be necessary.
The following description of what went on during the discussion illustrates just what the military faces with this issue in the years to come:
One solder stood up and argued that tattoos should be allowed, so long as they are not visible when a soldier is in his dress uniform.
“How many of you agree with that?” Dailey asked the group of about 100 soldiers.
Almost all of them immediately raised their hands.
Looking surprised, Dailey asked: “How big of a deal is this for soldiers? I want to hear your thoughts. I want to hear your opinions.”
“A big deal,” many of the soldiers said, with others nodding their heads in agreement. They also added that some may choose to leave the Army or decide not to seek a commission because of their ink. They also cited concerns about missing out on a prospective recruit because of the policy.
Dailey explained that there needs to be a balance between what is sensible to a soldier and what the image for a soldier should be in the eyes of the American public. His predecessor, Sergeant Major of the Army Raymond Chandler, was more rigid on the issue during his tenure – claiming that he thought the “uproar about tattoos had waned” at the time of his departure.
While he would later state that he could have been clearer in his explanation for moving toward a stricter regulation, he left the problem to the sorted out by Dailey, as the popularity of tattoos in America continues to grow.
According to a recent study, more than 20% of Americans now have one.
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