In an apparent move to clear up confusion over tattoo regulations, Corps officials released new Confusion triggered by poor word choice forced Training and Command officials to reiterate tattoo guidance for Marines enrolling in resident professional military education courses.
Questions arose after the Corps last month revised its checklist for Marines preparing for resident PME at staff noncommissioned officer academies. Among other requirements, Marines' body art will be scrutinized to ensure they meet regulations.
More than a few Marines wondered if that stipulation replaced the detailed guidelines published in 2010, enough so that officials further revised the resident PME policy in early December. The update clarifies that Marines remain expected to follow the tattoo policy established four years ago, said 1st Lt. Matt Rojo, a TECOM spokesman for Training and Education Command.
"Marines wanted to know which one is the tattoo authority, and that's the [one from] 2010," he said.
But tThe language of Marine administrative messages 575/14 and 578/14, which outlined the policy shift, proved imprecise. The additional requirement, the documents state, is "to confirm Marines are in accordance with MARADMIN 29/10, in that all tattoos that are visible to the eye when wearing standard physical training gear are documented in the Marine's [official military personnel file]."
Falling short of those standards could bar a Marine from attending staff NCO academies and lead to military career challenges, given the manpower drawdown and increased emphasis on resident PME.
The body art policy stipulates that visible tattoos cannot be larger than the Marine's hand — fingers extended and pressed together with the thumb aligned alongside the index finger — and that body art not seem offensive, anti-American or disparaging of the Corps, among a litany of other requirements.
