piercings in the military

wasnt sure where else to put this but i wanted to get your guys opinion on this, just kinda bitching i guess. Anyway i had my ears gauged to 7/16 and im a staff sergeant in the air force, well according to the afi(air force instruction) im not allowed to wear any visible body jewelry in uniform or on base, so i would take em out at work and in uniform and wear them at home. well apperently a major decided that he didnt like the holes in my ears and talked to my shop cheif so they told me i couldnt wear them anymore because it was " borderline self-mutilation" which is covered in the same afi and is not allowed. im just kinda venting about it, but does anyone else think this is as fucked up as i do?

heres the section of the afi im talking about if anyone wants to read it, it doesnt mention anything about off-duty off base so basically there are no restrictions.

In Uniform: Members are prohibited from attaching, affixing or displaying objects,
articles, jewelry or ornamentation to or through the ear, nose, tongue or any exposed body part (includes visible through the uniform). EXCEPTION: Women are
authorized to wear one small spherical, conservative, diamond, gold, white pearl or
silver pierced or clip earring per earlobe. Matching earrings must be worn and should fit tightly without extending below the earlobe. (EXCEPTION: Connecting band on clip earrings)
Civilian Attire: (1) Official Duty: Members are prohibited from attaching, affixing or
displaying objects, articles, jewelry or ornamentation to or through the ear, nose,
tongue or any exposed body part (includes visible through clothing). EXCEPTION:
Women are authorized to wear one small spherical, conservative, diamond, gold, white pearl or silver pierced or clip earring per earlobe. Matching earrings must be worn and should fit tightly without extending below the earlobe. (EXCEPTION: Connecting band on clip earrings) (See notes 2 and 4).
(2) Off Duty on a military installation: Members are prohibited from attaching, affixing or displaying objects, articles, jewelry or ornamentation to or through the ear, nose, tongue or any exposed body part (includes visible through clothing). Piercing of earlobes by women is allowed, but should not be extreme or excessive. The type and style of earrings worn by women on a military installation should be conservative and kept within sensible limits. Failure to observe these mandatory provisions and prohibitions by active duty Air Force members, USAFR members on active duty or inactive duty for training and ANG members in Federal service is a violation of Article 92, Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). (See notes 2 and 4)

and here is the section they tried to get me with:
Members who intentionally alter or modify any part of their bodies in order to achieve a visible, physical effect that disfigures, deforms or otherwise detracts from a professional military image may be subject to disciplinary action or involuntary separation, as determined appropriate by the member’s commander. Examples of prohibited conduct include (but are not limited to) tongue splitting or forking, tooth filing and acquiring visible, disfiguring skin implants.

That's lame. Lots of military people have tattoos. What's the difference?

What difference does any of it make? You are defending the country not just trying to be like some kind of conservative poster boy. I personally think all the dressing up and haircut bullshit is completely unnecessary. It really sucks that our tax dollars go to pay someone to bust your balls over this bullshit when hopefully there is something more important to be doing.

Here's the difference......It states in your contract that you sign what you can and can't do. They say you can't, so don't do it. If you don't like, you shouldn't have joined. If they mean that much too you then go smoke some pot, fail a urinalysis, wait about 10 months to get discharged, and then feel free to "wear your plugs."
I'd like to think that your career is more important to you than some fucking ear plugs dude.

Reason #267346 not to joing the military.

I agree about the fact that you signed the contract. But the military has it's priorities completely out of order if this is what a major is doing with his time.

I thing you're wrong. It's part of his daily duties to ensure that members of the armed forces keep themselves fit, in regulations, able to perform their duties, and are accounted for. Next we'll have people crying because they have to physical train so much and they believe the military has its priorities wrong. They give us laws outside of the civilian world that everyone is responsible for. Police youself and someone else won't have to. Beisdes complaining because "you" are breaking the rules and someone called you on it, is a bunch of petty childish bullshit.

There's a guy at my command with plugs...obviously he doesn't wear them in uniform but he has visible holes in his ears. He's an E-6. He gets crap all the time about it but since he had them before he joined there's really nothing anyone can do about it. I would think that article refers to doing something after you join...I would understand how you could just go out and get plugs after you've been in for a while but if you had it before you joined there's really nothing they can do to stop you from wearing them off base and out of uniform. I have a septum piercing and I wear a black plug in it and nobody knows any better.

Also, according to that article you aren't allowed to get anything exposed pierced including visible through the uniform. By that logic you could go and get your willy pierced and it'd be perfectly legal. Don't let those guys push you around. They may try to tell you that you have to do everything they say but there's very little they can do to you when you aren't on base and in your uniform. Besides the drug thing, and obeying any normal laws.

Wrong and wrong. Anthing you do off base is still punishable by them. They can easliy give you an atricle 134 under the UCMJ for anything. It's a general article and the name sums it up. They can punish you for generally anything.

It's like this, obey the rules you agreed to when you joined and you won't have problems. It's that simple. They are not pushing him around. They are making him follow the same rules that they have to follow.

I think you are "wrong and wrong". The rule says you can't wear body visible body jewelry on base and in uniform. Even though he has big friggin holes in his ears he's not wearing body jewelry in uniform so technically he's not breaking any rules. Some Major would like to think he is and is trying to make up rules to fix something he doesn't like, but that's officers for you. He isn't really doing anything wrong. Those holes aren't really going to heal anytime soon anyways so it's not like if he was wearing them when he wasn't at work that they could prove he isn't healing up fast enough or something like that.

[Edited on May 04, 2005 by Trevallion]

Again you are wrong because you didn't read his post. He said he puts them back in when he's off base. That's illegal. Obviously they will never heal or show signs of healing if he continues to wear them. Again, that's against several atricles listed in the UCMJ. Oh and just to clear it up, males cannot have piercings in, even when off base and out of uniform. I'll be back to post the article. Homie left some info out of his when he posted pieces of it.

That must be an air force thing. Like I said, there's a guy at my command that has visible holes and the command can't do anything about it. It sounds to me more like that Major has a hair up his ass for stopping someone from having fun. I have a feeling that if he just had tiny holes from regular rings no one at his command would be making a big deal about it.

I don't think it's right... a buddy of mine got his tongue pierced and he forgot to take it out on a MONDAY... that was inspection day, well lets just say he was pushing for a while and he was counceled due to it.

Tane

I think they're just trying to keep everyone neat and tidy. Gaping holes in your ears don't really give a professional military image. I gotta agree with Bam on this one.

One correction to my last post - The Air Force does state that they cannot be worn during the times iggy_koopa listed. However, as with anything it is still the commands final decision on whether or not it is allowed.

Commander's discretion:
Situations may arise where a commander may restrict the wear of even non-visible body ornaments

These situations include any ornamentation that may interfere with the performance of the member's military duties

The factors to consider when making this determination include (but are not limited to): impairing the safe and effective operation of weapons, military equipment or machinery; posing a health or safety hazard to the wearer or others; interfering with the proper wear of special or protective clothing or equipment

So still in other words, it's wrong. Once again, he agreed to it, so abide by it. I know the military instills discipline so show signs of it.

Exactly. I had earrings before I joined and my holes never healed. They weren't stretched holes so they didn't catch anyones eyes. Basically, if you want to break the rules just accept some shit that will come rolling downhill on your monkey ass! Filling sandbags is never fun!

But it there's no health or equipment hazards associated from having holes in your ears! I don't see how that translates to being wrong in your eyes.

Furthermore, I said that I have experienced commands that treat these rules much differently, and you're still telling me that I'm wrong and that this is punishable by the UCMJ. Maybe in the original poster's case it is, but not for me..

[Edited on May 04, 2005 by Trevallion]

Ok....he gets an infection and has to go to medical to get some ointment. Now he lost time at work because of his appointment. It affects him from being able to attend that day so now they're paying him for work not rendered. It's wrong. What's so hard about accepting the rules they have laid out and millions of others have followed for many many years? Did he think he was joining college and can get away with anything? We follow to sets of laws - civilian and military. Just fucking abide by them and get over your petty bullshit and you won't catch shit.

*The last part is not directed towards anyone in particular. More towards anyone serving in general*

Man you're still pissed about that whole tattoo thing huh?!!!

And here I was thinking that Frank Burns was just a made up antagonist in M*A*S*H.

my mate isn't allowed any sought of body modifications, AT ALL in the british army

that said he dose work for the secret service and well, its a good idea not to have distinguisible features

makes sence, though, to me, i mean, you ave to llok right int he army, if you don't look right, they tell you so,
stop botching about it, if you want to be inthe air force, do as they say,

"Why you gotta bring up old shit Craig?"
Yeah man military life is pretty fucking hard on the wives! Bless 'em!

not to day that you don't know what you're talking about but anyone with general care of their body will not have an infection unless it is an alergic reaction to a piece of jewerly. holes in your ears are hard to infect with simple care like washing your ears and using proper cleaners. also the chance of someone having an infection so bad in an ear hole that it takes them out of work is slim to none.

Because that "Do what I say cause I said it" attitude is what's killing the military in the first place. If he's had his plugs for a long time, as I assume he has because I think he had them prior to service, he wouldn't really be in any chance of getting an infection. You're more interested in nitpicking the rules to tell people that they're wrong than you are interested in the actual content of the rules.