Essay on Proposed Revisions to the Army Tattoo Policy

Tattoos have been around for quite some time now, and they have always been a symbol of belonging, cultural expression or for religion. These days, individuals choose to tattoo themselves because it is part of their lifestyle or personal image. While continuing to grow in popularity and becoming a lifestyle, people are facing issues with having visible tattoos in the workforce. Although it is a form of free expression, employers have a right to enforce certain rules about tattoos in their company because they have a public image to uphold. How you present yourself to the public is solely important, which is why tattoos should not be allowed to be seen in the workplace, since it may appear offensive or unconservative.

To begin, Leanne Padowski has personal experience with this area. According to the article, "Our company's policy states that anyone who works in customer service cannot have a visible tattoo." Ms. Padowski deals first hand with the restrictions of visible tattoos, and therefore, this is a credible piece of evidence to support her argument. Mr. Johnson, on the other hand, is bias since

The first reason I believe there should be tattoo restrictions in the military is because society’s perception of their military is very important. Without the support, trust, and respect of the civilian populace, we as a

it’s not always just a body modification, it is sometimes more than that. For military families or those with deceased relatives, tattoos are placed on a person’s body as a remembrance or honor to their loved ones. It’s a permanent tombstone the person carries on their body. Employers should not discriminate against something that has such a deep meaning behind what is easily seen on the outside. Employees shouldn’t be forced to cover up something they truly desire and cherish on their

People are told to not discriminate against someone for something an applicant can’t control, and doing so would be illegal. With that being said, visible tattoos and body piercing are something very much controllable. She uses a very good example that runners would be at a disadvantage if they were to run 100 meters wearing combat boots. People who choose to have piercings and tattoos put themselves at a disadvantage. Imagine if 2 people walked into a job for an interview. They both had the same amount of experience, but one is dressed in a nice suite

Although tattoos represent a variety of things in a person’s life, they don’t necessarily dictate how well a person is able to perform their job. For the last few months, there has been an ongoing debate about troops in the Army that have tattoos, and as a result their careers have been placed on the line. With this upcoming change, it has been specifically said that troops cannot have tattoos that extend below their knees and above their elbows and ones that reach above their neckline. Sgt. Maj. Raymond Chandler argues that tattoos cannot be racist, extremist, or sexist. If the tattoo violates that then they will have to get it removed (Freedberg). While it is assumed that this is limited to new recruits, it will also be applied to the

Although there is history that proves tattoos were used for many reasons, some people still fell into groups that are considered stereotypes. The stereotypes of people with tattoos were considered to be criminals, drug addicts, or habitual underachievers. There is somewhat of a statistical truth to that slander. Sadly when it came to people who had chosen to show their tattoos in public, the stereotype is all too real. That is no surprise though; people with tattoos are treated poorly by the majority. Traditionally, tattoo clientele was considered to be that of bikers, bad-boy personalities, and truckers; however all that seems to be changing. There is still the tough guy image to contend with. However, it is mostly just with the older population. Chris Weskamp told the Denver Business Journal

At the time the Army was getting what they desired which was a large number of troops, but they came to the point where they couldn’t afford them. This is when the proposed revision to the grooming policy came up for discussion. Now with the updated policy tattoos aren’t the only things taking a big hit hair, makeup, and bodily piercings are taking a hit as well (Dallet). As I was reading along in one of my sources another example that stood out to me was where an unshaven troop who was was wearing a ripped shirt, jeans, and his piercings, while on his time off (Smith). He was quickly pointed out and quickly shunned. The article stated that the airmen who were in the same location deemed the Army as the “Ghetto Service” giving the impression that they allowed pretty much anyone in their branch. Chandler is supposed to be taking actions on fixing this. I’ve always believed that no-one should be allowed to place judgment on another person because they don’t know what is going on in that person’s life. What troops fail to realize is they have the First Amendment to back them up on this crucial issue. The amendment gives them the right to speak as they please and voice their individual opinion. With that being said one troop in particular exercised his right. This is when Kamaljeet, who is the first person in the United States Army to be able to wear a turban. When he was enlisting the army told him that he was to give up his long hair, facial hair,

While tattoos have become more and more acceptable over the years, the question still lies on whether tattoos or any other kind of body modifications in the workplace should be allowed. It's beyond easy to make cases showing the negative impacts of discrimination against tattoos and piercings in the workplace. Plastic surgery, drawing on your eyebrows, getting fake nails, and coloring your hair are also examples of body modifications. Though not everyone agrees with or thinks they’re beautiful, employees are not told to cover up these modifications. Tattoos and piercings are purely another form of beautification and what makes each person their own unique individual. Beauty is personal.

Introduction: Is there anyone here that does not like tattoos or likes them, but would never think of getting one? Today, tattoos are a growing in popularity when before tattoos were only seen on people in a circus as an act or on military veterans who wanted to display their troop proudly. Even though there is this growing popularity of tattoos, entry-level jobs require strict dress code policies disapproving the sight of tattoos while at work.

A situation in 2002 led to a police officer being forced to wear long sleeves and pants to conceal his tattoos. The department, which allowed for it’s officers to have tattoos, decided to make one officer hide his tattoos because “[they] were so excessive as to be unprofessional.” The tattoos that were being prohibitedd included “a Celtic tribal band, a Celtic design with his wife’s name, a mermaid, a family crest, the cartoon character Jessica Rabbitt, and, on his back, a two-foot by two-foot full-color rendering of St. Michael spearing Satan.” One can only wonder why one man’s tattoos are considered unprofessional while other’s are not.

For generations, Marines have proudly served in every region of the World. We have always been recognized for our high standards of military bearing and appearance. Tattoo excessiveness has become a growing trend world-wide and has lessened Marines from our well-known appearance. Due to this arising problem over the past few years, tattoo policies have been written and revised time and time again. In accordance to MARADMIN 029/10, the policy’s overall intent is to ensure Marines can be assigned to their duties and maintain professional appearance and the high standards expected of Marines.

As someone that has been in a position of a hiring manager, and someone with tattoos, I have been on both sides of this debate. While I do appreciate that my employer does not require it, I personally keep my tattoos covered most of the time. I want to be judged by my skills and not what someone thinks of my body art. When someone does notice my tattoos, I often get the “Wow, I would have never thought you would have tattoos” comment. I understood many perceptions of me could possibly change when I decided to get tattooed, therefore I chose to get them where they can be easily covered. This has been a personal choice on how to approach this subject. I would be much more comfortable with having them visible; I see them as much a part of me as I do my hair color.

Tattoos today are recognized as totally different than what they were pictured as in the past. “Tattooing is recognized by government agencies as both an art form and a profession and tattoo-related art work is the subject of museum, gallery and educational institution art shows across the United States.” [ (Levins,

There are many employers that have the opinion that having visible tattoos is unacceptable for the professional work environment. Someone with a tattoo is seen as uneducated and possible dangerous. However, there is no solid evidence to support either of those beliefs. The stigma of sporting a visible tattoo has no validity. A person with tattoos is just as knowledgeable and capable of working as a non-tattooed person. Tattoos, whether visible or covered, do not change a person’s individual work ethic or how educated they are.