Might be a tad much
Having trouble recruting people, are we? Think of all the recruits we’d get if gays were allowed also. They’re “America’s sons and daughters.” Maybe next year as the war drags on and they continue to run low of people.
BBC NEWS: US Army redraws its tattoo policy
The US Army has relaxed its policy on tattoos in a bid to boost the number of new recruits to its ranks.
Soldiers can now have tattoos on their hands and back of the neck as long as they are not “extremist, indecent, sexist or racist,” army officials say.
Women recruits can also wear permanent eye-liner, eyebrows and lip makeup, although it must “not be trendy”.
An army official said it made no sense any more to bar highly-qualified people on the basis of their body art.
Tattoos and permanent make-up have become increasingly popular among young men and women in the US in recent years.
“The army is America. We are America’s sons and daughters. American’s sons and daughters are getting tattoos,” Lt Col Bryan Hilferty at the Pentagon said.
“The army is continuing to update our personnel policies. We have people who are otherwise qualified who want to serve and who have answered the call to duty.”
Tattoos on the head, face or throat area will continue to be banned, and any sexist, racist or gang tattoo makes potential recruits “unfit for duty”, Lt Hilferty stressed.
Permanent make-up “should be conservative and complement the uniform and complexion in both style and colour and will not be trendy,” the regulations read.
The US army was 7,000 short of its target of recruiting 80,000 new soldiers last year.
Army officials admitted the shortfall has been caused partly by a wariness among young people of having to serve in Iraq.
Ya think?
There are already gays and lesbians in the army, too bad they can’t come out because of that idiotic “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy…
The biggest irony is that you RARELY see the son or a daughter of a politician in the army.
The tattoo thing is a big change. When I played Army in the early 70s, tattoos were frowned on, both culturally (that’s stuff the Navy and Marines were into) and in official policy.
Of course people are wary of serving in Iraq; our only dependable friends are the Kurds. We’re sympathetic to the Shiites, but they don’t trust us. No clear goals. Troop morale is not good in Iraq, too much like Vietnam.
According to an Air Force NCO I talked to a few weeks ago, that’s not the case in Afghanistan, where the difference between friend and enemy is clear, and morale is high. Wonder why…
The one thing I personally do not like is “body art”.
They might look good today, but in a few years when they start to run they don’t. They may also diminish your ability to find work.
Body piercing is just plain stupid. Why?
Would you want to take orders from our present Commander in Chief? I know I wouldn’t. While the Army is out in the field the president is in a bullet proof bubble.
Mr Fusion:
Because they like it, it’s their kink. Just like some drool over brunnetes and others drool over blondes.
Geez, maybe a good idea is to tattoo your baby boys with something inflamatory “Screw the government” at birth…..to keep them out of future drafts.
….Mr. Fusion, tats don’t “run” they can bleed colors, but they don’t “run”. Usually they fade (if exposed to sunlight). I think the industry should STRONGLY DISCOURAGE facial, hand and neck tattoos, but, other than that…..who cares? If it’s what someone wants, let them. If it’s for fashion that becomes outdated…then..oh well. It’s not like there aren’t people who still wear outdated fashions. (i.e. mullets, mutton chop sideburns, and long hair on middle aged dudes).
I can’t see getting that involved in someone else’s life.