A tattoo nearly kept 19-year-old George Sanchez Jr from joining the American Air force, reports CNN.
Sanchez got a call saying a tattoo on the back of his right arm broke a new Air Force regulation.
The tattoo on the back of 19-year-old George Sanchez Jr.’s right arm nearly kept him from realizing his Air Force dreams.
The tattoo is his family name written in Japanese characters.
“He’s worked so hard and to have something pulled away from him, to me, just seems totally unfair,” said Sanchez’s father speaking to CNN.
Emilio Castellanos, Sanchez’s uncle and a retired Air Force Master Sergeant cannot believe what has happened.
“If they start keeping people from joining the military because of tattoos, who’s going to serve?” said Castellanos. “You can’t get people to serve as it is and then they do something like this?”
Last week, Sanchez got word that if he had the tatoo removed, he would still be allowed to join the Air Force.
“If he can get that tattoo removed and that can do it for him, as long as he’s willing to do it, then I’ll help him out,” said Castellanos.
Previously, the Air Force prohibited obscene, racist or other tattoos that would detract from a professional image. The policy has been expanded to prohibit all body art on the right arm — the saluting arm, a spokeswoman for San Antonio’s Air Force Recruiting Service said.