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Tattoo questions

bunk22

Super *********
pilot
Super Moderator
Yeah...
The tattoo is the majority of my inner forearm. I have a 3.4, majoring in business, participate in student government and fight MMA. If that counts a a sport.

IMO, there's only two sports, football and MMA :)
 

xmid

Registered User
pilot
Contributor
I guess I can just work to improve my package and wear long sleeve shirts until my recruiter asks why I am wearing them in Georgia's 100 degree summer. =/

There is a form you have to fill out while applying that discloses any tatoos, brandings, or other distinguishing marks you have on your body. I also seem to remember a form you sign either after final selection or at OCS stating that you will not get anymore tatoos while there.

For what its worth there were a ton of guys with tatoos at OCS when I was there. Alot of them were visible in uniform, some of those guys were priors but it didn't seem like it was that much of an issue unless it was something really crazy.
 

Easy Mac

New Member
For what its worth there were a ton of guys with tatoos at OCS when I was there. Alot of them were visible in uniform, some of those guys were priors but it didn't seem like it was that much of an issue unless it was something really crazy.


That's good to hear. I had not really thought about my tattoo, but then saw this thread and kinda freaked.
 

BACONATOR

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
That's good to hear. I had not really thought about my tattoo, but then saw this thread and kinda freaked.

As long as they aren't tattoos that depict you as a member of the Aryan Brotherhood, you should be ok.

Ditto on my OCS class. Plenty of visible tattoos in uniform and EVEN MORE visible ones in PT gear.
 

Schnugg

It's gettin' a bit dramatic 'round here...
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Tattoos a problem for some Marines.

From today's early bird:

http://ebird.afis.mil/ebfiles/e20080916629648.html

The Marine Corps is no longer allowing troops who have extra-large tattoos on their arms to serve as recruiters or security guards at U.S. embassies.

What if it is tribal in nature?
 

Harrier Dude

Living the dream
This isn't really "new policy". The Commandant has been saying this stuff in increasing levels of emphasis for several years now.

So, for those of you mustering the righteous indignation to come swooping in to defend these Marines from "getting screwed".....save your breath.

Get "extreme tatts" and stand by to have your career affected. What constitutes "extreme tatts"?

Whatever The Commandant says does.

Welcome to the Corps.
 

Renegade One

Well-Known Member
None
Losing the chance for Embassy duty may be a loss...some pretty sweet spots around the world...but I'm not sure not getting looked at for recruiting duty is much in terms of punishment...pretty darned hard duty, as I hear it. Admittedly I'm an outsider...maybe it is a plum assignment.
 

Harrier Dude

Living the dream
Losing the chance for Embassy duty may be a loss...some pretty sweet spots around the world...but I'm not sure not getting looked at for recruiting duty is much in terms of punishment...pretty darned hard duty, as I hear it. Admittedly I'm an outsider...maybe it is a plum assignment.

Aside from the "good side" of some of these B billets (fun, see the world, etc), there are serious career implications. Having a sucessful tour on any B billet (MSG, DI, or recruiting) is important, almost mandatory, for making Gunnery Sergeant.

And I agree with you about MSG. From the Marines I've spoken to that have done it, it's perhaps one of the greatest deal in the military.

Recruiting?........not so much.
 

2ndGen

Third times a charm
I've never met anyone who wanted to do recruiting. The staff NCO at my OSO said he would rather spend the last three years of his twenty in Iraq!

My best friend is a SSgt., with VMFAT-101 in Miramar and is going to have to go recruiting soon, ironically his tattoos are being reviewed.
 

Crowbar

New Member
None
I knew some guys who did some creative stuff to get out of recruiting duty. Plus there were plenty of the guys who just said, "Give me an adverse fitrep and a DD-214" rather than be recruiters.

For a while there was a huge backlog, people waiting 2-3 years to get screened for DI duty, so the popular thing to do was to start trying to get orders to the drill field, that way when the recruiter screening team showed up, you could show them actually were actively pursuing a special duty assignment, but in reality you weren't. Then once they left town, you just dropped the ball and let it all go away. It didn't take too long before the screening team(s) got smart and figured out it out.
 

phrogpilot73

Well-Known Member
I didn't read the early bird, or MARADMIN link - but I seem to remember potential recruiters having to send in pictures of their tattoos as part of the screening package for quite some time.
 

HueyCobra8151

Well-Known Member
pilot
When I went through MSG school (2003) I had to have a tattoo screening and we were told you can't have any tattoos that are visible in uniform or are "bad," etc...

Fast-forward 5 months and I wind up at my detachment: my boss had full sleeves on both arms. I also knew guys who got tattoos in every country they went to (this = a lot of tattoos).

MSG is also a great gig for officers, you travel to all the different countries with posts in your Company and inspect them - but the Marines are all trying to get the IO as drunk and happy as possible so he doesn't inspect too hard.
 
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