military regulation

In order to keep the U.S. military looking professional, a few regulations
on tattoos had to be put in place. These rules are pretty
much the same for each branch as far as content and placement.
􀁕 Navy—Tattoos are not allowed on the head, face, neck, or
scalp.
􀁕 Army—Tattoos are permitted on the hand and the back of
the neck, but not on the front or side of the neck, or on the
head or face. Permanent makeup is allowed on women but
nothing too flashy.
􀁕 U.S. Coast Guard—Only 25 percent coverage is allowed on
the arm between the wrist and elbow and on the leg between
the knee and ankle. No tattoos are allowed on the hands,
head, or neck.
􀁕 Marines—No tattoos are allowed below the elbow or below
the knee. This is a new regulation, which started on April 1,
2007. Marines who already have tattoos on their forearms
and legs aren’t allowed to add on to them. The hands, neck,
and head are also off-limits for tattoos.
􀁕 Air Force—Only one quarter of the exposed body part may
be tattooed. Tattoos are not allowed above the collarbone or
to be readily visible when wearing an open-collar uniform.
Keep in mind that in the military tattoo designs must be in good
taste and cannot be gang related, indecent, extremist, sexist, or
racist. The tattoos also cannot show poor morale.Naval personnel have a long-running
reputation of having tattoos. This,
of course, comes from the old days
of tattoo shops in ports and harbors.
Many of the older designs from the
’30s and ’40s featured a pin-up girl in
a sailor’s uniform. Marines are also
known to get marine-pride tattoos
such as the USMC Bulldog.