Tattoo on an 18A wannabe...
 

Gentlemen,

I have done some searching but i couldn't find a specific answer on the issue of my possessing an Eagle Globe and Anchor tattoo on my chest and whether A.) it will be a problem as far as the Army is concerned in regards to getting accepted at some point in the future to SFAS, and B.) whether it will be an issue for quiet professionals I will hopefully work with. The reason I ask is because I have not gotten said tattoo yet. I don't have any and refrained from getting one while I was in the Corps because at the time I wanted to go to school and work for an OGA (which i had heard frowned on body marks, could be an old wives tale but i was being cautious.) but since i have chosen a path that will hopefully lead me to your fraternity of QP's I am considering getting the EGA i have always wanted as a reminder of my past and of the Marines i fought and bled with overseas. Any opinions even negative ones are greatly appreciated. Again just trying to find out if getting it will hurt me in any way career or respect wise. Thank you gents.

SGT "Atilla"

Sounds like an illegal gang related tattoo to me.

I think it is a bad idea.

You will be permanently marked as an American and a Marine, in a fairly obvious place.

Hardly fits in with the concept of being a QP, IMHO.

Plenty of time to tat up and brag after you retire.

TR

If you are asking then that means that you have that little voice saying, "Are you sure this is a good idea?" I've found MY little voice to be pretty damn smart...I listen to it.

Why take any chances, why limit any options? Doesn't make sense to me.

As TR said, plenty of time to get a tat when you're done. Plenty of other ways to remember and honor your fellow warrior marines in the meantime.

my $0.02.

You may put others at risk.
MM

Gentlemen,

Thank you for your sage advice, you have readjusted me and helped me to think clearly about it. The problem here is that I need to be comfortable with my new uniform, always remembering my past but be proud of being a soldier and remember that the reason I am doing this is to join your ranks eventually, to serve my country, and to lead brave young Americans with the same intensity, intelligence, and fervor I had the good grace to be led with. I know I have a ways to go and a lot of respect to earn and lessons to learn before I am even eligible to try to join the QP's but to me this is the most important thing and I don't need a tat to remind me that I can be a Marine and a Soldier and that, as we sometimes lamely say, I have an EGA branded on my heart. Maybe someday Ill be able to add a tab above it. Sorry to get motto but the advice really means a lot. Thank you gents.

SGT "Atilla"

plenty of time after you get out or retire.
 

I got my tattoo of an SF insignia on my left pec about 8 years after I retired.
When I was a young SF soldier tattoos were really frond upon because of "identifying markings were not desired. Could have actually have kept us from some realy good missions. Blitzzz

Given the risk of being easily identified, I always wondered if SF/SOF personnel ever got tattoos that displayed their profession while on active duty. Any particular reason you waited eight years after retiring?

When I have found myself pondering questions such as the one posed here, I often find myself approaching the most sage singer-song-writer I know. I have found that his wisdom is limitless and his depth of subject immeasurable. If it's important. . . Jimmy has sung about it.
To answer your question I offer Jimmy Buffet's Permanent Reminder of a Temporary Feeling form the album Beachhouse On The Moon.

Permanent Reminder of a Temporary Feeling

She was no Marine back from the Philippines
she was their pride and joy, their incarnation.
Her parents viewed the chief with shock and disbelief
looking for some other explanation.

The indian on her back was poised for an attack.
She said "A tatoo is a badge of validation."
But the truth of the matter is far more revealing
it's a permanent reminder of a temporary feeling.

Permanent reminder
of a temporary feeling,
amnesiac episodes that never go away.
It's no complex momemto, it's not set of revealing.
Just a permanent reminder of a temporary feeling.

Vegas in the rain,
drunk on cheap champagne,
he hears out of tune synthesized chapel bells painfully ringing.
Where's his limo ride?
Who's this foreign bride?
Is that really Elvis spinning around the ceiling?

Permanent reminder
of a temporary feeling,
amnesiac episodes that never go away.
It's no complex momemto, it's not set of revealing.
Just a permanent reminder of a temporary feeling.

Chromosomes and genes,
spawn these fateful scenes.
Evolution can be mean,
there's no dumbass vaccine.
Blame your DNA.
You're a victim of your fate.
It's human nature, to miscalculate.

To make up for the fight,
they go out for the night,
sex; drugs and rock n roll seem like the easiest answer.
but a short nine months later
there's no way of concealing
that permanent reminder of a temporary feeling!

Permanent reminder
of a temporary feeling,
amnesiac episodes that never go away.
It's no complex momemto, it's not set of revealing.
Just a permanent reminder of a temporary feeling.
permanent reminder of a temporary feeling
permanent reminder of a temporary feeling

Love it, Mister B is always good for a quote..

Why 8 years.
 

It just seemed the thing to do since everyone of my family had already obtained a couple. It was either the one I got or all my "201" on my chest. I had too many years active duty with a constant influence not to put ID markers on my body. I guess I out grew it. Blitzz

Long Time Ago
 

Had a very young troop show up for jump school with wings on his forearm and an attitude to go with it. Lasted two days.

Too bad you couldn't scrub it off with lye before you sent him packing!

RE: Body Art
 

Good reply. We had a 1LT in 67 with a green beret complete with dagger body ink job on his right outter wrist. The Group CO told him to see the surgeons and have it removed or he was history. Why would a man want to mark his body with any US military logo if he is going into combat? You are putting an indelible mark on yourself that cannot be denied if captured. You are also risking the men with you.

Well, maybe he wanted to be a lampshade.:eek:
I heard or read somewhere that at one of the Nazi Death Camps prisoners with body art were singled out for immediate extermination. (I probably ought to scopes that one.)

Clarice: If you didn't kill him, then who did, sir?

Lecter: Who can say? Best thing for him, really. His therapy was going nowhere.

~ "Silence of the Lambs"

RE: Lampshade
 

ROFLMAO.

Reminds me of of a story ...
 

I was sitting in the Greater Cincinnati International Airport years ago with my daughter, then 5 years old. I had bought her a set of markers and some paper for the trip to Dallas. As we waited she began to write her name on all her belongings. When that was done she bagan to write her name on each leg, her arms, hands, etc. I was just watching and shaking my head.

A woman next to me had an obvious look of contempt on her face as it was clear she thought I was a poor excuse for a dad who would let his kid write all over herself like that.

Finally this woman had had enough and asked if I going to stop the child.

I said, "No, not at all. I always have her label her body parts when we fly."

That ended the conversation right then and there.



As for tats, not for me. They make no practical or tactical sense.

But there is something about a tramp stamp peeking over a pair of cut-offs ......

The airport will never be the same....
 

I have never heard that one before, (LMAO)...Traveling through an airport will never be the same now. Every kid i see writing on something or themselves will remind me of this..... (LOL).....

LOL I love It, I got my Tat, no wider then 3 fingers, of a German eagle, after approval of my CO., and a lecture, it was something important to me, in memory of my grandfather. It is high on the right arm, short sleeves do not even show it or T-shirt.

A particuarly nasty example of this was one female prison guard at Auschwitz (Maybe Birkenau, can't remember off the top of my head), who had her entire room decorated in pieces of furniture made from tatooed skin - theres a picture somewhere out there of a lampshade with clearly indentifiable nipples...

Part of my current history course is the Nazi state - recently looking at concentration camps, hence this particular horror story.

(Off topic I know, but an interesting tangent, if in a macabre way)

Tattoos were also frowned upon in my time in Group. A number of the older airborne vets had tattoos left over from their time in the various regiments, but tattoos were seen as indelibly identifiable marks and assignment limiting.

FWIW - tattoos, piercings, and the like are considered to be socially lower class amongst our family - whether anyone else thinks they are or not. Be that as it may, our middle son, who is really attuned to our Scots heritage, had our family shield (Clan Hay) placed on his left bicep. He worried about my reaction and was surprised when I told him why I didn't think it was a great idea (marking, > incidence of latent hep-C, views of others, etc) but that it was his problem, not mine, and he was the one who had to live with it. I was not thrilled that he had done that, but he's over 18 and it could have been worse...it could have been a globe and anchor or the like. :D

MOO...and not tattooed. ;)

Richard's $.02 :munchin

PS - as far as the Nazis and tattoo souvenirs - Expat was thinking of Ilse Koch, the commandant's wife at Buchenwald near Weimar (Bitch of Buchenwald) who was convicted in the post-war trials. Even by the accepted standards of those incomprehensible camps, Buchenwald was seen amongst the RFSS and WVHA-Amt D staffs as being OOC and the practice of such souvenirs was not encouraged.

There is no upside to a tattoo - execpt in the mind of the owner. Once you have one - it is done, the second one won't be far behind. Then the third...

The Downside is enormous - just think of all the forms you have had to fill out where you checked the No box for Tattoos – that would be over.

Back in the70s I was a member of a unit that would not take you if you had a tattoo – this unit happened to be the best unit that ever existed (IMHO). Who’s to say that units like that one won’t come back again someday – why would you want to disqualify yourself from such an opportunity.

Mitch is absolutely right.....:( and as Richard said the older guys from the airborne units had tattoos.:( After jump school and 17 years old, I went out and got 2 of them. The "In God we trust" with a paratrooper and chute with "Hells Angels" under it. The other arm with "True Love" a rose with Maggies name in it. Well,all I can say is "Stupid is as stupid does". I've regretted it all my life, because when I worked in an office, I had to wear long sleeve shirts in the heat of summer because my boss didn't want the customers to see them..........Don't get one.........:mad:

GB TFS :munchin

Another quote
 

To quote Miss Mona in Best Little Whorehouse in Texas "Brands are made for cattle and that ain't what we're sellin' at Miss Mona's."

When I was personnel officer for a local Sheriff's Office, subconsciously I would deselect candidates with ink in favor of those that were ink-less, all other things being equal. My shrink at my department backed me up by stating a professional opinion that body modification indicated a deep seated insecurity in one's body image and therefore an indicator of poor self discipline. He had the same opinion of piercings that were excessive or visible.

I pretty much agree with that idea, but personally, my family always looked at tattooing, piercing, and other forms of body art as something practiced among less advanced societies like those we saw in the monthly National Geographic Magazine while growing up.

In the military, many of the guys I saw get tattoos were doing it while intoxicated and/or on a bet with friends...a sort of group think mentality which usually went something along the lines of "Hey...let's do such and such!"...followed shortly thereafter by a "Oh, man! What were we thinking!"

But such is youth.

Richard's $.02 :munchin

Expatriate,

I believe it was Buchenwald. I remember seeing some of those pieces of flesh art on a tour back in '03. The commandant's wife would select prisoners to die so she could have lamp shades with tattoos.

Back in my foggy years, tattoo parlors were off limits in Germany, and violating the Off Limits Order was an instant Field Grade Article 15. There was a soldier who (rumored) had a tattoo of a spider etched near his fly. He tried to get out of PT claiming a pulled groin muscle. PSG told him to fall out for Sick Call but reminded him doctor-patient confidentiality did not apply in the Aid Station. said Youth ran the whole 5 miles that warm, humid morning. (ouch) I don't think the hang-over helped.

I just laughed out loud. Well said.

I have met more than a couple AD SEALs that have Tridents on themselves in obvious spots. One on his forearm, one on the back of his neck, one on the leg. Several other AD Team guys that have other SEAL specific insignia on themselves. Always kind of wondered why they would do that...

Tattoo
 

I had a tattoo on my left shoulder, got it while in training group. A year later I had it removed . The reason, It had english writing and tagged me as an American.

As an aside, while in Viet Nam, we had a young Sergeant join us who had "kill viet cong" tattooed, in Vietnameese, on his fore arm. Took him about two days assigned to an actual fighting A-team to see the Bac Si and get that mess removed. Guess he figured out the the VC killed back.

Body ink while on active duty with the Groups is a liability to you and your teammates, lose it. Last paragraph is my humble opinion based on personal experience.

My godfather had a tattoo done on his forearm back in the 60's (so smudged one cant even tell what it is), He said that exact thing.Also, if he would've gotten sick from the process of getting the tattoo he would've been in trouble.
For the record he wasnt SF,but a DI in virginia.

"Watch iss! Hold my colebeer while I...

a. get this tat!"
b. get this earring in my nipple!"
c. chug this bottle of Everclear!"

I understand many of the posters here are more senior and from a different generation, but take a look around the group areas. Many, lots of team members are wearing full sleeves, some have chest and backs done. In most of the CIFs it is rare to see a guy that is not tatted up.

Yeah, I would say that over 80% of group is tatted up now days. I have mine. Though I will say that percentage goes way way down if you are looking for military related tattoos. I would suggest and advice against military related tattoos till after you retire.

I appreciate your tact.

It's a paradigm shift or evolutionary process I liken to the allowance of openly homo soldiers.

Don't worry, we FOG's gotta slide away at some point; although I'm working on a scheme in which my brain is transplanted into a clone of Pierce Brosnan's body @ 26 years of age.

IRMV :eek::eek:

Yeah, they're already working wonders with the chia transplants.

I am actually in the process of having one removed before I go to SFAS. I have numerous but this particular one is something that makes me stick out. I do not want to risk my chances at being selected over that.