| I dont think it's so much of a matter of what it means or what they look like, it's the location of such. Of course if you had something offensive on any part of your body, you would be denied, but these symbols apparently aren't offensive or obscene in nature, so it can't be that. I think it's because of the location, right on the visible portion of your upper body.
You need to understand that the military wants their personnel to look professional, tattoos on the hands, forearms, neck, face, etc etc, show a deficency between you and the guy standing next to you.
If your wearing a uniform, and a tattoo can be clearly seen, it's usually a no-go. Of course there are always the possibilities of exceptions, I know the Army can usually grant more waivers for such because they are the biggest branch and need to meet the biggest recruiting goals. Branches such as the Coast Guard can be more selective and dont' usually allow people in (with such circumstances) because they don't presently have the need for a lot of recruits, thus, they may take the guy without the tattoo over yourself.
Good luck, hope all goes well.  | 
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