I am going to be enlisting in the Navy in the next few weeks, and I have a question regarding a few cigarette burns on the top of my forearm. When I was 15, a few friends and I made the decision to be tough guys and put cigarettes out on our arms. I have 4 on the top of my forearm, located a few inches below my elbow. Based on Navy policy, "brands" as well as tattoos, etc, are acceptable so long as they are covered in uniform and are not bigger than the size of a closed fist. Under these conditions, my burns should be fine. However, I'm worried about the possible Doctor's worry of self-inflicted wounds that indicate an underlying psychological issue. My question, to be specific, is:
After explaining to the MEPS doctor the nature of the burns, emphasizing that they were not self-inflicted and were not done as a method of self-mutilation to somehow mitigate my emotional pain nor were they the result of some underlying psychological condition that caused me to harm myself, will these burns be grounds for disqualification? I am aware that "cutters" are usually disqualified as they are a worry and a liability to the military, and I am worried that the MEPS Doc might place me in a similar category, despite the nature of my situation being entirely different.
If I have to do so, I will get a cover up tattoo, but I'd rather live with four purple dots than a piece of ink.
Thank you for your time.
After explaining to the MEPS doctor the nature of the burns, emphasizing that they were not self-inflicted and were not done as a method of self-mutilation to somehow mitigate my emotional pain nor were they the result of some underlying psychological condition that caused me to harm myself, will these burns be grounds for disqualification? I am aware that "cutters" are usually disqualified as they are a worry and a liability to the military, and I am worried that the MEPS Doc might place me in a similar category, despite the nature of my situation being entirely different.
If I have to do so, I will get a cover up tattoo, but I'd rather live with four purple dots than a piece of ink.
Thank you for your time.