Then there is no Constitution — you see, the Constitution is about limiting the government, not granting rights.
There is no good reason why a mustache couldn’t go past the corner of your mouth in the military, but those are the rules.
If those were the rules you agreed to under your enlistment, then it's a matter of you violating your contract, no?
Further, this rule applies to FUTURE promotions. The guy is not being demoted for the tattoos he has...but yeah, lots of tattoos can limit your upward mobility, even in the civilian world.
Granted.
Heck, try getting a tattoo with the “N” word on your arm and owning an NBA team at the same time...
Nachos?
What do they have against cheese-covered chips?
Grooming rules varied while I was in. But past actions can reduce the chance of future promotion because you have no “right” to be promoted.
They are not punishing the guy. They are not reducing his rank. But imprudent actions in the past can cause a person future problems. One of the reasons I dislike tattoos is that they are permanent, and what is considered ‘good’ today might be considered ‘bad’ tomorrow. Think about a tattoo proclaiming God, Mom & Apple Pie - it would now be considered religious bigotry, homophobic and insensitive to fat people...