If you read Marine Administrative Order 029⁄10, the newest Marine Corps tattoo policy, here’s what you might take away... if grandfathered, an enlisted Marine can work his way up to become the sergeant major of the Marine Corps, but can’t become a second lieutenant. Noted.
My job as a leader is to enforce regulations and uphold the standard. We are entitled to our opinions, but we are required to adhere to lawful orders and regulations.
My issue with the newest policy doesn’t have much to do with career progression. I’m much more concerned with the separation of expectations.
Why are we setting a different standard of appearance for officers and enlisted Marines? If we want to set restrictions on the sizes of bands or numbers of visible tattoos, why not apply the restrictions across the board?
When someone sees a Marine in civilian attire, they don’t think to themselves, ‘‘That’s an enlisted Marine,” or ‘‘That Marine is an officer.”
All they see is a Marine.
If the goal is to clean up our image and make Marines assignable in any military occupation to anywhere in the world, then make every Marine assignable anywhere in the world.
After all, there should only be one response when someone outside the gate asks us what we do for a living...
‘‘I’m a Marine.”
First, read MARADMIN 029⁄10 if you are even thinking of getting your first, or subsequent, tattoo.
Second, if you don’t currently have any tattoos that are visible in physical training gear, don’t get any. Your career options will quickly diminish. Sure, by the letter of the order you will be able to continue down your currentcareer path, but your duty assignment options become more limited and you may lose eligibility for any officer programs you might be interested in.
Third, don’t look at the new policy as a restriction on your ability to get inked. Instead, look at the intent of the order and try to realize the big picture. We are a visible presence everywhere in the world. Many of those places aren’t as accepting of our culture as we may want them to be. Our ability to recognize and respect other cultures is what has made us so successful in what we call irregular warfare. We want all Marines to be good ambassadors.
Finally, talk about the new policy. Educate your Marines on what it means for them. Counsel your Marines that are considering a tattoo so they understand what is permitted. Summed up... lead your Marines.
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