Letter to the editor re USMC tattoo policy

Letter to the editor:

Bryant Halstead of Stafford County is president of Halstead, Inc. and
author of "My Boss Sucks: A Story Book and Survival Guide." He is a
former Marine and law-enforcement officer.

Marine Corps, Ink: Tattoo voodoo
New Marine Corps policy on tattoos is a farce

Recent press coverage of the decision by Marine commandant Gen. James
T. Conway to further restrict the types and locations of tattoos that
Marines can have exposed a leadership flaw within The Few, The Proud.

The policy, which went into effect April 1, prohibits large tattoos
below the elbow and knee. It is designed to stop Marines from getting
large "sleeve" tattoos.

In the words of Gen. Conway, "Some Marines have taken the liberty of
tattooing themselves to a point that is contrary to our professional
demeanor and the high standards America has come to expect from us. I
believe tattoos of an excessive nature do not represent our
traditional values."

Whose values? Gen. Conway's? His comments indicate that he is a man on
a mission to force his own "traditional" values on the Marine Corps as
a whole--and that's unacceptable, especially at a time when our nation
is at war.

In fact, at a time when the Marines are having difficulty meeting
recruiting goals, it's foolish, irresponsible, and lacking sound
judgment. Gen. Conway owes it to America to concentrate on issues that
actually matter to the security of our nation and the accomplishment
of all missions to that end.

In the world of leadership, the most successful leaders are selfless;
they can put their own personal desires aside and focus on what's best
for the organization and the people they serve.

In recent articles in various publications, Gen. Conway talks about
expecting and having been prepared to address more questions and
resistance about the new policy from his troops during recent visits
to Iraq and ships in the Persian Gulf. To his surprise, most questions
were focused on equipment issues and other mission-oriented topics,
and he heard very little about the new tattoo policy.

Could this be due to the fact that the Marines actually engaged in
fighting this war on terrorism have better leadership skills--or at
least a more appropriate set of priorities--than the general?

Blocking our best?

This issue hit close to home for me when a good friend of mine, and an
eight-year Marine Corps veteran, was denied reenlistment due to a
tattoo. That's right: An individual who is well qualified and could be
operational again in very short order will not be serving his country
due to a tattoo on his chest.

This tattoo is in a location that will not be visible in any required
Marine Corps uniform, except possibly during swim qualification--yet
he was thereby denied reenlistment.

I can't begin to comprehend the ignorance and shortsightedness
associated with this decision.

Tattoos are more accepted in society today than they have ever been.
Warriors throughout history have adorned their bodies with tattoos--
and Marines are the warriors of our time. As a young Marine, my first
tattoo was a bulldog and the letters USMC. This was a rite of passage
and I was proud to earn that right. Historically, tattoos have been
discouraged for Marine officers; however, due to increased popularity
and acceptance in society, even tattooed officers are more common in
the Corps.

The general's personal-values based decision either fails to consider,
or blatantly disregards, the associated fallout and increased
government effort required for its execution. In this case, unit
commanders have been burdened with documenting the tattoos that
Marines currently have as a baseline against which to identify future
violations.

How much time has this taken? Surely this is not the most important
task these commanders can be doing during a time when America is at
war.

While the Marine Corps is busy tightening its tattoo policy, the Army
and the Navy have relaxed theirs. Both of these organizations are
experiencing difficulties meeting recruiting goals, and understand
that changing policies is both a necessity and a matter of little
significance as it applies to the quality of their candidates.

As a former Marine, it disturbs me to see the Army and the Navy out-
thinking and apparently out-leading the Marines.

Some law enforcement agencies, and yes, some here in the
Fredericksburg region, are also restricting the tattoos that their
personnel can have. This is another career field that is having more
and more difficulty filling vacant positions.

If tattoos that are visible are not offensive, what does it matter?
Does the fact that an individual has tattoos diminish his ability to
perform his job?

Are the actions of these leaders oppressing one of the very freedoms
that Marines, law enforcement officers, and other public servants are
willing do die to protect?

America needs leaders who are willing to do any and everything they
can to serve the people and accomplish their given mission.

They must be willing to put their personal agendas aside. /copy and
paste from http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2...ex_html?page=1

--
Curt