Netizens fume over military’s no tattoos, bow legs, flat feet criteria

A section of Ghanaians on social media have expressed outrage over certain criteria that seek to disqualify individuals from joining the army.

The outrage stems from an interview granted by the Acting Director General of the Public Relations Division of the Ghana Armed Forces, Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin, on TV3 on August 4, 2025.

In the interview, Captain Adzo Arhin stated that persons who wish to join the army must, at all costs, avoid tattoos and multiple piercings.

She also pointed out that certain physical features of applicants can disqualify them from being part of the army.

“If you have knock knees, bow legs, flat feet, double piercings, or tattoos, you don’t qualify,” she said.

The captain explained that these conditions disqualify individuals because they affect their ability to perform military duties.

“Because they will negatively impede your work, training, operations, and activities, that is why you are not selected. If you have flat feet, you cannot stand for extended periods because we have sensitive veins under our feet. A flat-footed person could collapse or even pass out during training, which is why these individuals are not selected,” she added.

Her remarks have sparked various reactions, with some critics condemning what they describe as ‘outdated’ criteria for military selection.

Some critics have suggested that the strict criteria outlined by the military might be contributing to the brain drain among the youth, who they believe could potentially make meaningful contributions to the institution.

They noted that, in certain instances, individuals who do not qualify locally may seek opportunities in the military of other countries instead.

They added that, in some cases, individuals appear to be accepted elsewhere despite having the same features that may have led to their disqualification locally.

Others, on the other hand, shared their experiences while attempting to join the military. One user, expressing his frustration, recounted that his attempt in 2004 was unsuccessful, as he was disqualified for having flat feet.

“I got disqualified from the Ghana Airforce recruitment at ElWak Stadium in 2004 because of flat feet. The same feet I and my team used to win a regional basketball championship for Ketasco in Ho. 21 years later, Ghana Armed Forces is still bouncing people for tattoos, piercings, bowed legs & flat feet. Meanwhile, global militaries from the US, UK, Canada are recruiting personels for their technical skills, CyberSec, Drone ops, Dev Engineers, Comms, AI competencies.

“The US, Canada, and UK are recruiting the same tech-savvy, tattooed, pierced, flat-footed talents Ghana Armed Forces keeps rejecting. We’re fighting 21st-century threats with 19th-century archaic rules,” the user said.

They have therefore called for immediate reforms and a review of the criteria.

Read some of the posts below:

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