Stepson Barely Slides in Air Force With Tattoo

[esqeddy]

My stepson has been in DEP since last march for the Air Force. He scored a 90 on his entrance exam. He decided to get a small tattoo (1.3" x 1.7") its a Chi-Rho (Christian Religious symbol). When he got it he checked the Air Force policy to make sure it would be OK. He has been waiting since last March to leave this coming Monday to go to basic training. He is married and has a new born child. He put aside any college ideas and quite his job a week ago to prepare to leave and make arrangements for his wife and child in his absence.

He got a call this last Monday saying the policy has been changed and he would be excluded from service. Looking on the internet, I see he wasn't the only one given that news.

WOW!!! Talk about some upset people. He signed a contract, put everything else on hold, went to the recruiters office every week or two as they required and even washed cars on Saturdays when they demanded. Then, some General decides that tattoos on the saluting arm is unpresentable, and decides to change the policy.

How many men with tattoos all over their arms have given their lives fighting and dying for our country? :nonono:

Fortunately, we got the call yesterday that the Air Force has decided to give a 30 day grace period to those people already signed up who are about to go in.

Whew!

 

[THE_STIG]

This isn't a new thing, Tatoos are on the list of No-nos for the Air Force. Some are allowed so long as they cannot be seen.

 

[FX4 SAPPER]

That is dumb. Luckily he got in, but i think we are going to be seeing some more really stupid exclusions start happening so long as the economy is tanked and people need job security.

 

[Satyr]

That's absurd...somehow a tattoo makes you less able to fight/die for the country?

 

[nitemarestang]

Damn, USAF really starting to get ****ing beyond retarded. :dw:. And they wander why they cant keep people :shrug:

 

[esqeddy]

This isn't a new thing, Tatoos are on the list of No-nos for the Air Force. Some are allowed so long as they cannot be seen.

The Air Force has now reversed the policy altogether.

Recruiting service backs down on tattoos - Air Force News, news from Iraq - Air Force Times

 

[ssj4sadie]

What is really gay, is that if you are in and the AF deems a tattoo unsuitable you have to remove it at your own cost.... This applies to all tattoos, even ones that cannot be seen in uniform.

I can't ever do presidential service because I have two tattoos that extends slightly below my short sleeve blues on my biceps....... Weak:rollseyes

 

[cobrkilrl]

The Air Force has always had a policy concerning tattoos. They cannot be visible while in uniform. It's all about image the Air Force wants to display in their men and women. I wanted on more than one occasion to get a tattoo while in the Air Force but told that is impossible from supervisors on up. So what most troops did was put them in places where they would never be seen. I waited until I retired before i got my first one. Have not regretted doing so.

 

[ssj4sadie]

The Air Force has always had a policy concerning tattoos. They cannot be visible while in uniform. It's all about image the Air Force wants to display in their men and women. I wanted on more than one occasion to get a tattoo while in the Air Force but told that is impossible from supervisors on up. So what most troops did was put them in places where they would never be seen. I waited until I retired before i got my first one. Have not regretted doing so.

The "can't be seen in uniform" is where the water gets very murky. It all comes down to your leadership and how crappy they want to be about something, because now we have an (AFI) PT uniform. So for all that could get away with leg tats and sleeves could be screwed. But as of last I heard if you already had the tattoos before the policy is implemented, then you are just grandfathered in....

 

[cobrkilrl]

The "can't be seen in uniform" is where the water gets very murky. It all comes down to your leadership and how crappy they want to be about something, because now we have an (AFI) PT uniform. So for all that could get away with leg tats and sleeves could be screwed. But as of last I heard if you already had the tattoos before the policy is implemented, then you are just grandfathered in....

You are absolutely right. I retired in 1990 and am sure things have changed a lot since I was in. Seeing the tats on marine, army and navy personnel in uniform, I don't see how the Air Force could possibly enforce a rule on tattoo's at this point in time. Had a good friend just join the Navy with a full sleeve on his right arm. Tat's were not an issue when he enlisted this year. He just said it had to be covered when in uniform but not sure how he is going to get away with it in summer dress. The Armed Services have to many other problems to address than to worry about what someone tattoo's on their body.

 

[SickBlackMach]

The "can't be seen in uniform" is where the water gets very murky. It all comes down to your leadership and how crappy they want to be about something, because now we have an (AFI) PT uniform. So for all that could get away with leg tats and sleeves could be screwed. But as of last I heard if you already had the tattoos before the policy is implemented, then you are just grandfathered in....

That is the reality of it... Different commands are allowed to have different standards, as are bases, etc..

I've known a few guys that would take a sketch of a tattoo to the base hospital to get it measured and medically approved. One guy had his right at 24% on the underside of his right arm.

From the reading of that article, it sounds like a few recruits got to BMT with more than the "Inappropriate" (coverable) standard allowed. They probably violated the "Unauthorized" standard and were booted. Sounds like the recruiting branch overreacted with their new policy and are now having to review it.

 

[BigSweezey]

Not this exact policy, but along the same lines as the reason I decided to get out. I why I probably should have joined another service altogether. It's the "military" yet they give a shit less that you know anything about a rifle, but it's top priority that you have a 32 inch waist and no tattoo's.

 

[ssj4sadie]

Not this exact policy, but along the same lines as the reason I decided to get out. I why I probably should have joined another service altogether. It's the "military" yet they give a shit less that you know anything about a rifle, but it's top priority that you have a 32 inch waist and no tattoo's.

They uped it to 35 with the new PT program...

 

[motorider228]

I have no tats and I think this new AFI is retarded. I can understand not being on presidential duty or working with the thunderbirds, but no visible tattoos on your saluting arm? Come on. There is a crew chief in my AMU that has sleeves down to the wrist, my Chief and OIC along with his section chiefs could give a shit less and he works in a short sleeved shirt when it's hot, but I wonder what big blue will think. The only thing is when any of the group CC's or the wing king flies, he has to wear long sleeves. None of the regular pilots give a shit.

 

[nitemarestang]

They uped it to 35 with the new PT program...

Aswell as if you pass everything but fail to meet the requirement on any 1 part of the pt test it counts as a complete failure. Even if you would have passed.

 

[ssj4sadie]

Aswell as if you pass everything but fail to meet the requirement on any 1 part of the pt test it counts as a complete failure. Even if you would have passed.

But if you meet only the minimums in all sections you still don't score high enough to pass.....

 

[HandoZiZle]

The new PT scoring will focus alot more on running than waist, which is a bad thing for me...

 

[esqeddy]

I wonder what the policy would be if we were in a serious war like WWII or Vietnam and they had to implement the draft to get soldiers?

 

[ssj4sadie]

I wonder what the policy would be if we were in a serious war like WWII or Vietnam and they had to implement the draft to get soldiers?

I bet there would still be some person that would try to deny people entering service or trying to give the ones with a lot of tats very shitty jobs only.

 

[saleensc281]

IMO tattos should be allowed as long as they are tasteful and cannot be seen when wearing the Class B uniform or the PT uniform. Like I said thats my opinion...call it old school or whatever.