Tattoo Policy Hurting Good Marines

Good day Hard-Chargers!!

Today we’ll focus on the tattoo policy of the Marine Corps. As you’ve heard before time may be the factor causing combat veterans to leave the Corps. There is also another reason that should not be underestimated, and that is the Corps’ tattoo policy.

There have been Marines who were barred from re-enlistment because tattoos were too close together and were considered to be one piece that was too big under the Marine Corps’ tattoo policy at the time.

Other Marines have similar stories, this is due to the Corps not deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan in large numbers. Once that happened tattoos became a career killer for them, even if they had ­combat experience.

Marines are now stating that their combat experience is not valued as it once was. As you have leaders saying “We don’t care that you’re a combat veteran.”

Boot Lieutenants are stating that no one cares about Afghanistan, it’s over and we as a branch are moving on as there is a new Marine Corps.”

This is partly due to the drawdown of the Corps from 202,000 to 182,000 active duty Marines, which was driven by cuts to defense spending.

Starting in 2014 Marines were required to submit photos of their tattoos for re-enlistment as the Corps became very stern about the policy.

Commandant General ­Robert Neller, explained the reasoning behind the policy. “We’re not in a rock and roll band. We are ­Marines. We have a brand. People expect a ­certain thing from us.

Marine veterans often look to get jobs as police officers, but local, state and federal law enforcement agencies are very strict on whether applicants can have visible tattoos.

This is very true as I myself was recently denied entrance to the academy due to my sleeve of tattoos.

In the year prior to the Marine Corps’ new tattoo policy being announced, only a fraction of Marines were denied re-enlistment because of their tattoos.

From June 2015 to June 2016, there were more than 14,000 re-enlistment packages submitted. Out of those, 33 were denied due to non-compliance with previous policies and the current tattoo order.

There are still Marines who believes the tattoo policy has unfairly ended good Marines careers. Men that wanted to have a career in the Corps, and re-enlist were made very difficult because of the tattoo policy.

There are even Marines, being denied re-enlistment due to tattoos even though they got a waiver for those.

Officials are stating  just as Marines are expected to meet the highest physical standards, the Corps also sets high standards for Marines’ professional military appearance.

Think before you ink Marines!!

Isaac J. Hall II

#SemperKill

No Growth For The Corps in 2018

Good day hard-chargers, so we now have word that the Marine Corps is not expected to grow during the next fiscal year. 

If approved by Congress, the Marine Corps’ fiscal 2018 budget will keep active-duty at 185,000. Recently funding for the Corps was approved in order to grow from 182,000 to 185,000 this fiscal year.President Trump, last year, publicly endorsed the Heritage Foundation, calling for 12 active-duty Marine infantry battalions and one active-duty tank battalion.The idea was to build a Marine Corps based on 36 battalions, the Heritage Foundation noted that this is the minimum needed to deal with major contingencies.Many now wonder at this point if future budgets will call for the Marine Corps to become larger. The only answer to this staggering question is only time will tell.

President Trump has said he intends to increase the size of the military, however, other lawmakers don’t necessarily agree to increase the defense spending without first conversing in order to find non-military spending cuts.

It is believed that the Marine Corps must grow to 190,000 in order to successfully defeat adversaries.The force structure concluded that the Marine Corps needs to add more Marines for information environment operations, counter unmanned aerial systems and also air defense. Adding more Marines would help capabilities needed for 21st century warfare.

Marine Corps Commandant General. Robert Neller said “If you don’t have those things, whatever formation you put on the battlefield will not survive or be combat effective.Another serious challenge the Marine Corps faces is the aging fleet of planes and helicopters. 

There is a proposed budget, however, it does not accelerate the purchasing of new aircraft. Next year the Corps expects to purchase 353 F-35B Joint Strike Fighters and 200 CH-53K King Stallion helicopters and 67 F-35Cs which will replace the F/A-18 Hornets.So each CH-53K cost $87.1 million, but when research and development are included the price tag is up to $138.5 million per helicopter.

Colonel Hank Vanderborght said “We fight the war on cost everyday to get things at best and absolute value for the taxpayer.”

I for one was excited to see the Corps grow close to 200,000 strong, but we’ll have to wait a bit longer in order for this to take place. Until then, I urge you all to keep up with current events as you may be effected weather its good or bad.

Isaac J. Hall II

#SemperKill