The ink has dried on the Army’s new tattoo policy, and results could be on the books for a long time—destined to be part of America’s military historical record if things remain unchanged.Modifications to the uniform and appearance regulation covering tattoos went into effect on the last day of March, and active duty soldiers had another 30 days to get their existing tattoos—not all, but those affected by the changes—inspected and documented to be considered grandfathered under previous regulations.Commanders were required to validate existing tattoos or brands through standardized photographs, then submit a memorandum and photos to be included in a soldier’s personnel file. The record solidifies grandfathering evidence, which is good for soldiers, but the bona fides of today could be a trove for historians in the future. Several U.S. laws and military regulations protect record privacy during soldiers’ time in service and after they leave service; however, military record protection lasts a specified period. There is a ticking clock.Current record management policy, covered by Army Regulation 600-8-104, states that official military personnel files remain in Army control for 62 years from soldiers’ final separation date. An individual’s file then is transferred to the control of the National Archives and Records Administration. Depending on the future file classification, it could include the images from the passing golden age of Army tattooing if the files have not been removed or otherwise restricted by then.The main points of the new tattoo regulation changes were outlined by a briefing slide set issued by the Army’s deputy chief of staff, G-1, called “Uniform Policy Leaders Training.” It was published to bring members of the chain of command up to speed using clear language.Regarding tattoos, the briefing states that unauthorized tattoo locations are the head, face, neck and anything above the T-shirt line (including the eyelids, mouth and ears) and on the hands, fingers, and wrists below the wristbone. The briefing notes that each visible tattoo below the elbow or below the knee must be smaller than the size of the wearer’s hand, and soldiers may have no more than four visible tattoos (smaller than the size of the wearer’s hand) below the elbow or knee.The briefing adds that the policy defines small tattoos within a 5-inch area as one tattoo. Visible band tattoos may be no more than two inches wide and limited to no more than one visible band tattoo. Sleeve tattoos on arms or legs are banned, and enlisted personnel can no longer seek an officer’s commission if they exceed the four-tattoo limit or have them in unauthorized locations—even if the tattoos are grandfathered.Extremist, indecent, sexist or racist tattoos are also forbidden. The briefing defines extremist tattoos or brands as “affiliated with, depicting, or symbolizing extremist philosophies, organizations or activities.” Indecent ones are those that “are grossly offensive to modesty, decency, or propriety.” Sexist tattoos or brands are defined as those that “advocate a philosophy that degrades or demeans a person based on gender but that may not meet the same definition of ‘indecent.’” Racist tattoos are described as “those advocating a philosophy that degrades or demeans a person based on race, ethnicity or national origin.”——————————————————————————-Tattoo History: American Wars Leave Their MarksThe rich history of tattooing is thousands of years old, but the Civil War made tattoos cool for American soldiers.Designs took a patriotic turn. Flags, eagles, regimental coats of arms, battle scrolls and the like became popular not only among soldiers who marched off to war but also veterans who returned from it. Tattoos also served as identification on death-strewn battlefields.As Civil War veteran Lt. Col. Wilbur F. Hinman, who served in the 65th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment, wrote in a postwar account: “As a matter of fact the army did get pretty thoroughly ‘tattooed’ during the war. Every regiment had its tattooers, with outfits of needles and India-ink, who for a consideration decorated the limbs and bodies of their comrades with flags, muskets, cannons, sabers, and an infinite variety of patriotic emblems and warlike and grotesque devices. … Thousands of the soldiers had name, regiment, and residence ‘pricked’ into their arms or legs. In portions of the army this was recommended in general orders, to afford means of identification if killed in battle.”Spikes in U.S. Army tattoo popularity have accompanied every military engagement since the Civil War. Using their bodies as the banner, soldiers have traditionally created an indelible record of war on themselves, reflecting patriotism, pride in service and sorrow in the loss of buddies.——————————————————————————-