Air Force New Tattoo Policy 2017 | The Odyssey Online
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Student Life

Air Force New Tattoo Policy 2017

The Air Force doesn't frown upon tattoos, and neither should you.

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Air Force New Tattoo Policy 2017
Mitchell Proffitt

As most of my readers know by now I will be joining the United States Air Force and became under my max weight limit for my height just two weeks ago. Anyways, with me going to be joining the Air Force that means I'll have more articles about my weight loss, the steps I go through to qualify to enlist and Air Force news. Thats exactly what this week's article is about, Air Force news.

The current tattoo policy states that you can't have more than twenty-five percent of your body part visible of tattoos while in uniform. The twenty-five percent rule limits the size of a tattoo you can get on your chest, back, arms and legs. As I currently have a decent size tattoo on my calf and my recruiter said it was okay, I may want to get another tattoo in the future after I join and not having guidelines for the common body parts to get a tattoo will make it easier .

January 10, 2017 the United States Air Force put out an article about their new tattoo policy which will go in affect February 1, 2017 and medical conditions that you can get waivers for now, which went in affect immediately. Following the article posted by the Air Force, I saw many people on Facebook, Twitter and even Youtube say, how great this will be for the Air Force. The Air Force main goal on why they changed their tattoo policy is because many people were being disqualified because of their tattoo and also to get more people to who have the talent and are cable to join who couldn't before because of their tattoo.

Now, the new tattoo policy which will go in affect this coming Wednesday, it states that tattoos on your chest, back, arms and legs will no longer follow the twenty-five percent rule from the old policy. Tattoos on your head, neck, face, tongue, lips and scalp are still not allowed. Any hand tattoos will be limited to one single-band tattoo on only one of your hands. The change for hand tattoos is to make sure that you still present a formal military imagine when in your dress blues or at formal events. Any current Airman who have hand tattoo and have been authorized from the old tattoo policy will be grandfathered in under the old policy standards.

The main reason on why the Air Force decided to change their tattoo policy is because most applicants and recruits had tattoos, many applicants were also being sent away because of the size of their tattoo and where it was. As stated by the Air Force, one in every five applicants were found to have tattoos requiring review or may be considered disqualifying. But, any tattoos, brands, or body marks anywhere on your body that are associated with gangs, sexual, racial, ethnic, or religious discrimination still remains not allowed in or out of uniform.


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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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