A U.S. Army tattoo ban is about to be announced as part of an update to a regulation on the appearance of soldiers.
According to the Huffington Post, Sgt. Maj. Of the Army Raymond Chandler told Stars and Stripes that tattoos that can be seen below the elbows or knees and any tattoos visible above the neck will soon be banned in the Army. However those who already have those tattoos may be exempt.
The new rules which are set to be announced are part of an update to Army Regulation 670-1. The law currently prohibits tattoos anywhere on the head, face, and neck, above the collar of the class A uniform. There is also a ban on specific kinds of tattoos like those that are considered extremist, indecent, sexist or racist. These rules are not changing.
Along with the new rules will be the announcement of a new process in which soldiers can meet with their unit leaders to self-identify their ink. A soldier must cover the cost of removing any ink that violates the new rules. Under the old regulation, commanders couldn't order soldiers to remove a tattoo. However they were expected to address possible violations with soldiers and let them know about possible medical procedures to remove them.
The new regulations need to be signed by a secretary so that they can go into place within the next 30 to 60 days, Chandler told Stars and Stripes over the weekend.
Lower arm and leg tattoos are popular among soldiers. Their current ink may be exempt from the new rules but soldiers who get new tattoos that violate the rules may have some issues.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
