Army announces big changes to the tattoo policy

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JELUWAR, AFGHANISTAN – JULY 06: A U.S. Army soldier with Task Force Thor Route Clearance Patrol from 23rd Engineering Company, Airborne shows his tattoo of the word “loyalty” on his arm during a prayer before a day-long route clearance mission July 6, 2010 in Jeluwar, Afghanistan. The U.S. Army route clearance unit uses specialized equipment to seek out improvised explosive devices (IED) on roads throughout Afghanistan to prevent military patrols and civilians from being hit by the homemade roadside bombs that have injured and killed hundreds of NATO troops and locals. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — A newly revised tattoo policy that will remove the limit on the number and size of soldiers’ tattoos is coming very soon, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno said Wednesday.

The more lenient tattoo rules are based on input from soldiers, he said. Many soldiers have told Sergeant Major of the Army Dan Dailey they want fewer restrictions on tattoos. Some saw their tattoos as a hindrance to advancing in their careers.

Odierno said he and other Army leaders have listened to soldiers.

“Society is changing its view of tattoos and we have to change along with that,” Odierno said. “It makes sense. Soldiers have grown up in an era when tattoos are much more acceptable and we have to change along with that.”

The rules won’t be official until the regulation is updated, which is expected in the “very near future,” an Army spokeswoman said.

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Kathleen Curthoys is editor of Army Times. She has been an editor at Military Times for 20 years, covering issues that affect service members. She previously worked as an editor and staff writer at newspapers in Columbus, Georgia; Huntsville, Alabama; Bloomington, Indiana; Monterey, California and in Germany.