But despite these advancements,
dog tags are still issued to service members today
. They're a reminder of America's efforts to honor all those who have served — especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Generally, each soldier is allotted two dog tags
. One of them is worn at the neck as a chain and the other is kept inside the shoes of the soldier. These dog tags are made up of T304 stainless steel.
Every Man in Navy to Wear Metal Identification Tag
Every officer and enlisted man in the United States Navy will wear a metal identification tag
which will bear the wearer's name, the date of his birth and enlistment, and, in the case of an officer, his rank and date of appointment.
Because dog tags are issued to military members for identification purposes only,
there is no provision for getting replacement dog tags for former service members from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard
.
The U.S. Army changed regulations on July 6, 1916, so that all soldiers were issued two tags:
one to stay with the body and the other to go to the person in charge of the burial for record-keeping purposes
.
Civilians can legally wear dog tags
. Yet, attempting to use the dog tags for personal gain may be considered an act of stolen valor, which is a punishable offense. Some veterans and active military members may consider it disrespectful, while others do not care.
Every military personnel gets issued two dog tags
, one with a short chain and one with a long chain. The reasons for having those different chain lengths is significant. After a soldier is killed in battle, fellow soldiers or officers can use the two tags to mark the body.
123-45-6789. Blood Type. A POS.
Religious Preference
. PROTESTANT.
Today's identification tags identify vital information about the wearer:
name, Social Security number, blood type and religious preference
. During World War II there were only three religious categories that could be put on dog tags: P for Protestant, C for Catholic and H for Hebrew (Jewish).
Black Dog Tags are used by Special Operations forces such as the Army Rangers, Navy Seals, Green Berets, Commandos, and Delta Force
. Black Dog Tags were mandated by a regulation on January 15, 1967 of the United States Army, Vietnam (USARV).
Because dog tags are issued to military members for identification purposes only,
there is no provision for getting replacement dog tags for former service members from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard
.
If you are currently serving in the military and need a replacement set, you can get them issued at no cost.
Contact your personnel unit and they can issue them to you or tell you where you can get a set issued
. These should only be used in the line of duty.
They also included a “T” for those who had a tetanus vaccination, but by the 1950s that, too, was eliminated. During
World War II
, Navy tags no longer included the fingerprint. By the war's end, they also included the second chain that the Army had implemented decades before.
Army format tags are formally issued to personnel of the U.S. Army, Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Department of the Army (DA) civilians overseas, and other authorized civilian personnel
.
Identification tags, more commonly known as dog tags, have been used by the Marine Corps since 1916
. They serve to identify Marines who fall in battle and secure a suitable burial for them. Identification tags were probably first authorized in Marine Corps Order Number 32 of 6 October 1916.
In World War II, identification tags started to look more like today's standard-issue dog tags. They were metal and rectangular, with a notch in a lower corner. The soldier's information was imprinted on the metal tag. That notch was used
to align the metal plate on the machine that embossed the information
.
Bright RED Dog Tags
to help signal to emergency personnel that you have drug Allergies or Medical Conditions
.
Can males have dreads in the army?
The US Army announced a series of new grooming policies on Tuesday that will
allow soldiers to wear ponytails, locs, lipstick and even earrings
. According to the new policy, women can wear nail polish as long as the colors are deemed “acceptable” and male soldiers are authorized to wear clear nail polish.
Although
police are not issued dog tags as part of their uniform
, they are popular for showing pride and comradery amongst partners and colleagues serving in the same precinct or special units.
- Write on a piece of paper where you found the tags, the date you found the tags, your full name and contact information.
- Place the letter and dog tags into an envelope.
- Seal the envelope and address it to the Secretary of Defense.
Check the order of the information on the dog tag. If your dog tag is an authentic U.S. military dog tag, the information should be in the following order:
last name, first name, middle initial, Social Security number, blood type, religion
.
The official Dog Tag required the following information: Name, Service Number, Date of Tetanus Inoculation,
Blood Type
, Person to Notify, Religion.
