![]() ![]() I know I am not alone in this feeling either, I don’t think there is a single soldier out there who cannot name someone that they respect the hell out of who has a sleeve tattoo. ![]() “In fact I cannot think of more disciplined guys both in training and on the field of battle. Marty Skovlund, Jr., author and former Army ranger wrote in the Havoc Journal: Many veterans and service members disagreed. Leadership at the time felt as if tattoos were having an effect on bearing and discipline. As late as 2014, some branches clamped down and enacted more restrictive policies. By US ARMY (found via Twitter) Policy and RegulationĪll branches of the armed forces have hemmed and hawed over whether or not they accept tattoos in their service members and to what extent. Approximately 8% of all military tattoos are a person’s name, ahead of military branch symbols (which are around 4%). Young commissioned officers (O1-O3) are the most likely to get a first tattoo while under the influence of a substance, with by far the highest percentage of regret. For example, young enlisted males are more likely to get their first tattoo during their first enlistment, and the number of deployments will not only increase the likelihood of having a tattoo but also the number of tattoos. War paint has been synonymous with military operations for centuries, and American military culture is no exception.Ī study in the Military Medicine Journal revealed some interesting facts about tattoos in our modern military. These stats shouldn’t come as a surprise to veterans. A 2014 poll showed 36% of veterans and active service members have at least one, which is double the percentage in those who haven’t served in the military (18%). Current and former military members have one of the highest percentages of people with tattoos of any demographic. Tattoos are not a rarity in the military/veteran community today. Despite a waning of public opinion and acceptance of tattoos post-World War I, the practice remained popular within the American military. ![]() Hinman wrote, “Every regiment had its tattoers, with outfits of needles and India-ink, who for a consideration decorated the limbs and bodies of their comrades with flags, muskets, cannons, sabers, and an infinite variety of patriotic emblems and warlike and grotesque devices.” By 1925, nearly 90% of Navy sailors were tattooed. Hildebrandt eventually travelled throughout the country, tattooing Civil War soldiers with cannons, sabres, and a variety of patriotic images. It is rumored that in 1846, German immigrant Martin Hildebrandt opened America’s first tattoo parlor in New York City. Photo by Jamakassi on Unsplash Tattoos in the American Military But will finally pulling the trigger on that long-desired tattoo hinder your ability to obtain a job after you retire or separate? As you transition into your civilian career, it is natural to be worried about the effect your tattoos may have on your employability. That’s all very interesting, but does it mean you should finally bite the bullet and get that star-spangled full sleeve you’ve always dreamed of? You know, the one that proudly proclaims, “These Colors Don’t Run” in Old English font? You might want to mull over whether or not it could hurt your post-service job prospects first.Īs the individual service branches gradually relax restrictions on tattoos in their dress and appearance standards, many service members and veterans are getting their first tattoos or adding to their canvases. In fact, in the body modification realm, tattooing predates piercing by over 7,000 years. Mummified remains and written records reveal the occurrence of tattoos and tattooing in ancient civilizations all over the world. In some cases it has even been used as a memory aid. Tattooing is a practice (or an art form, as some would argue) that dates back thousands of years and has historically been used to symbolize high status, low status, criminal status, military status, illness, injury, or religious affiliation. Carbon-dated at approximately 5,200 years old, the preserved corpse was found to have tattoos all over his body. In 1991, an “Iceman” was discovered near the Italian-Austrian border.
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