An Arkansas teen said he was turned down by the Marines because of his “Southern Pride” Confederate flag tattoo.
Anthony Bauswell, 18, of Greenbrier, Ark., said as soon as the recruiter saw the body art on Monday, he said “DQ, just automatically DQ,” according to KARK.
“I felt pretty low,” Bauswell told the station. “My own government wasn’t going to let me serve my country because of the ink on my skin.”
The Daily News was referred to the Marines Corps Recruiting Command, which could not immediately be reached for comment. However, the Corps’ tattoo policy states that body art that is “sexist, racist, eccentric or offensive in nature” is not allowed.
“Having talked to them, I don’t think most Marines understand what the policy is,” Commandant Gen. Robert Neller told the Marine Corps Times on Wednesday. “I don’t think they understand what they can do. They just know they can’t get a sleeve.”
The new policy will not likely impact Bauswell, who now feels like his future is in limbo.
“I kind of felt like I had a plan for my life, and now that I can’t go, I am not sure where I stand,” he told KARK.