Under a new army policy that is likely to be signed by Army Secretary John McHugh, new recruits will have to follow stricter guidelines on tattoos and grooming standards.
According to Stars and Stripes, under the new policy, new recruits will not be allowed to have tattoos that show below the elbows and knees or above the neckline. Current soldiers may be grandfathered in, but all soldiers will still be barred from having any tattoos that are racist, sexist or extremist, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond Chandler told the publication.
The updated policy will apply to soldiers only and apply to grooming (such as sideburns), uniforms and tattoos.
After implementation of the new policy. soldiers will need to “self identify” each tattoo on their bodies.
Once the rules are implemented, soldiers will sit down with their unit leaders and “self identify” each tattoo. Soldiers will be required to pay for the removal of any tattoo that violates the policy, Chandler said.
