That's right the Marine Corps said no in a new regulation to full, half, and quarter sleeve tattoos. If Marines don't have their current tattoos documented in their personnel file with exact descriptions and pictures they could face court martial and potentially a dishonorable discharge for disobeying a direct order. This is a surprise after the tradition of tattoos among Marines over the years.



It seems General Conway wanted to be fair on the tattoo policy across the board. A lot of Marines are not thrilled with the new policy and are going against it still getting tattoos. Some have said the policy is "retarded", "useless", and "against heritage". These are the facts that have been relayed since the announcement.

Now the opinion is this is pretty weak to bring a policy like this out at a time of war and loss. I mean really, is this what a General needs to be focused on while his Marines are dying in the field? For Christ sakes, get a war plan going, take care of the wounded, or just do something more valuable since you get paid about $200 an hour. Marines have long since earned the right to wear whatever the hell they want. Let's face it, they are about the most devastating force America has to deliver to the battlefield. They almost eat people for a living (okay maybe not that far). I am just more interested in a Marine completing a mission than what he is wearing on his arms.

These days, we need all the men and women we have to fight this long and drawn out war. I need to feel confident we have the right people fighting wars, and honestly I could careless if the Marine was 100% tattooed. Hey that's a good thought'it might actually scare the enemy more. We are starting to lack a true fighting force and hide behind the technology more. I am fine with the tats and I would be willing to bet, most other people are too.

I just wish America would stop trying to be so proper and treat the military like what it is. We are America's 1.4 million people killing machine. We kill people for freedom or whatever our President wants. That is what it is. I get the pilots the information they need to go and destroy houses with families in them, bridges, people hiding in caves, or whatever the case. We are not a soft entity, and taking little things like tattoos away erodes our dignity to what we really are. Stop trying to make us something we are not...civilians.