Marines in special-duty assignments such as recruiting, security-guard, combat instructor, and drill instructor who already had tattoos on their arms before recent regulations banned them may stay in their jobs until their tours end or they are otherwise relieved of duty, according to new guidance the Marine Corps issued in MARADMIN 494/08 on Sept. 4. The clarification reemphasized that any tattoos must conform to “high standards America has come to expect” of Marines, and may not include any sexist, racist, vulgar, anti-American, antisocial, gang-related or extremist images or messages.