Military question concerning tattoos

[Ironic 2278]

Hello guys, as some of you may know, I'm apart of the Air National Guard here in Arkansas. Which for those of you that don't know, I'm pretty much part time Air Force, and in the Reserves. I haven't gone to my Basic Training or Tech School yet, all that will be done after I graduate High School. I have been serving Drills though for the last 7-8 months though.

I have a question for some of you that are in the Military or may have knowledge in this. Since the Air Force's new tattoo policy (http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/10/politics/air-force-tattoo-policy/) I've been thinking about getting a tattoo up on my arm close to my shoulder (it would show a little bit outside a short sleeve T-Shirt). However, I asked one of my Sergeants yesterday while at Drill about my idea, and he said that he would recommend I wait till after my Basic Training and Tech School before getting a tattoo, because he says that if the policy ever goes back or gets even stricter (I don't see why they would go back though), that I could be kicked out. The reason he said I could be kicked out is because the government hasn't used much of any on me for training yet. And so if I wait to get the tattoo, then they would most likely not kick me out for having a tattoo due to all the money they've already used on me. Here's my question for you guys about that:

If the tattoo policy would go back for some reason, even if I haven't been to Basic, would I be grandfathered in? 

AKA: They can't kick me out for having the tattoo/tattoos because I got them while it was on the old policy.

Someone was telling me this on FaceBook today about how I would have to be grandfathered in, due to the fact that I got the tattoo while I was allowed to have it with the current tattoo policy.

 

Sorry for the long post, if you have any questions feel free to ask! I just thought I should ask some of you guys here, since I know we have a few others in the Military here.

[Elliott 51]

Congratulations & thank you for your service, Ironic. I would recommend waiting until after training to get the tattoo as you will be "post-training" with "less" physical strain on the skin. I could just imagine the mud hitting the freshly healed scar or little pebbles scrapping against the skin. I am unsure of the law as well but I do have a combat medic marine friend named Tyler and he did get a ton of tattoos while stationed.

 

To answer your question; I doubt they will kick you out if the only issue you're showing is the tattooing. Best of luck man

[Mark from Facebook 1285]

I mean, you've already waited 18 years to get a tattoo. 

If after you asked someone their opinion, someone that has more experience than you in the service, Someone who is your direct boss, and he told you to wait, why the fuck would you go ahead and still do it?

 

What's another year or two for a tatoo dude? that shit's in your skin forever.

Just wait. Listen to him. He probably knows better than you. 

[Ordinarygamer96 785]

My girlfriends sister has an assassins creed tattoo and is an officer in the marines. From what I remember she got it before enlisting and they still didn't care. Different service and it could be she had lazy officers but I've never personally heard of anyone getting in too much trouble with tats.

[Ironic 2278]

38 minutes ago, Elliott said:

Congratulations & thank you for your service, Ironic. I would recommend waiting until after training to get the tattoo as you will be "post-training" with "less" physical strain on the skin. I could just imagine the mud hitting the freshly healed scar or little pebbles scrapping against the skin. I am unsure of the law as well but I do have a combat medic marine friend named Tyler and he did get a ton of tattoos while stationed.

 

To answer your question; I doubt they will kick you out if the only issue you're showing is the tattooing. Best of luck man

My Basic is still months away, so I don't know if I'd really be getting much "strain" on my skin from doing PT and having a tattoo.

 

15 minutes ago, Mark from Facebook said:

I mean, you've already waited 18 years to get a tattoo. 

If after you asked someone their opinion, someone that has more experience than you in the service, Someone who is your direct boss, and he told you to wait, why the fuck would you go ahead and still do it?

 

What's another year or two for a tatoo dude? that shit's in your skin forever.

Just wait. Listen to him. He probably knows better than you. 

I understand your point, I'm just curious whether or not I can actually be kicked out if I do get a tattoo and for some reason they tighten up the tattoo policy. He said I can get one if I want to, he would just recommend I don't just in case. I understand he was appointed above me for that drill (he's not actually my NCOIC: AKA person in charge of us, he was just filling in because our NCOIC was off doing training), but he could still be possibly wrong by saying I can be kicked out for getting a tattoo. 

That's why I brought the question here to see if anyone can confirm that he was correct by saying I could be possibly kicked out for this situation.

[Rootbeer 1293]

27 minutes ago, Ironic said:

That's why I brought the question here to see if anyone can confirm that he was correct by saying I could be possibly kicked out for this situation.

 

Are there any higher ups that you know? I'd ask them tbh. That Sergeant could've just not like tats.

[Ironic 2278]

9 minutes ago, Rootbeer said:

 

Are there any higher ups that you know? I'd ask them tbh. That Sergeant could've just not like tats.

I may ask my Master Sergeant next time I have to call him. See what he has to say.

[Dylan 558]

I'd do it after homie but you'll be grandfathered in buddy in airforce already has a half and full sleeve and nd his QA does too.

 

Also the Recruiter in my town has a full sleeve. 

[Rayne 4478]

Mark hit the nail on the head, you've waited this long for a tattoo, it makes no difference waiting a little longer. Tattoos aren't going anywhere.

 

Also @Elliott, don't be such a wuss, fresh tattoos can be sore but it's not like your flesh is red raw.

[Battlemech7 87]

National Gaurd.....for real...Airforce....oh my god..... reserves, You GODDAMN POG.

 

It's all in good fun, tho you're still a fucking boot pog.

 

I would also say, do not get any tattoos until you are IN. Would you risk your choice of career for some ink? Plus once you are in who knows, maybe your outlook on tattoos will change. Far to many boots getting tattoos to look hard and they just end up looking like babies with a sharpie.

 

Also a thing to keep in mind. Tattoos are identifiers. If you want to keep your options open to..."other" occupational paths within the military, you dont want tatts...once you get in to them, you can, but getting into them would be a big nope.

[ChosenOne2000 4440]

Wait until you finish basic then ask your supervisor upon your return. @Howard Deanis an NCO in the AF. He can provide further guidance.

[Banana Joe 419]

TBH @Ironic, this is just me, I would just wait. As for me, my tattoo policy is pretty strict and because of it, I'm waiting until I'm out of the corps to get mine. They can't kick you out for having the tattoo in regulation and documented and if it changed all of a sudden they change it. Who ever told you they would kick you out for that reason is retarded, it would mean the government would lose $400,000 just by training you alone, they wouldn't kick you out for that reason.

[Howard Dean 2502]

@Ironic

 

I just got out of the military. With that being said, I would not cause any unnecessary headaches for either you or your recruiter until you are in the military.

[Ironic 2278]

Thanks, guys. I'm going to actually talk to my NCOIC or my Master Sergeant and see what they have to say. Most likely, I will take your guys' advice and wait. The only way I would not wait is if my Master Sergeant or NCOIC basically tells me that the Sergeant who told me not to get a tattoo because I could be kicked out was just plain in the wrong for saying that. Then, I may look to getting one or two tattoos before basic, however most likely as of now, I will wait. Thanks!

[Banana Joe 419]

@Ironic glad we're able to help out