Military Dog Tags 🎖️

Question 1

What are Dog Tags for?

Answer

A Dog Tag is the informal name for the identification tags worn by military personnel, because of their resemblance to actual 'dog' tags. The tag is primarily used for the identification of dead and wounded along with providing essential basic medical information for the treatment of the latter such as blood type and history of inoculations. In the event the member has a medical condition that requires special attention, an additional red tag with the pertinent information is issued and worn with the Dog Tags. Wearing of the tag is required at all times by soldiers in the field. In the U.S., two identical tags are issued. One is worn on a long chain around the neck; the second on a much smaller chain attached to the first chain. In the event the wearer is killed the second tag is collected and the first remains with the body.

Question 2

Who issues G.I. Military Dog Tags?

Answer

The US military currently issues Dog Tags to members of each Branch of Service except the Navy. As of January 9, 2019, Army and Air Force Dog Tags have the same information format: Name, DoD ID, Blood type, Religious preference. Marine tags differ by including USMC, Gas Mask size, and use the first initial instead of name. For additional Military Dog Tag information or to order replicas of originals from different branches and eras visit Mydogtag.com/military

Question 3

Are these real military Dog Tags?

Answer

Yes - we make the real thing. Made according to military specifications with 304 rolled-edge stainless steel and printed using the same automated machinery as used on military bases. We offer either an EMBOSSED (modern) or DEBOSSED (historical) Dog Tag Font depending on what era is being replicated.

Question 4

Why are two tags issued in each set of Dog Tags?

Answer

In the military every soldier is issued two ID tags as soon as possible after entry on active duty, initial active duty for training, or assignment to a Reserve Component unit. Dog Tags are used for identification, casualty reporting, and graves-registration purposes. In the unfortunate event that they are killed in combat, one tag would stay with the body (sometimes attached to the toe using the short chain) and the other tag with the longer Military Necklace chain would go with a scout and eventually to the next of kin. In keeping with this military tradition, we only sell our tags in sets of two, however each tag from mydogtag.com can still be individually customized.

Question 5

Do soldiers have to wear Dog Tags?

Answer

Yes, as per Army Regulation 670–1 (AR670-1) p3-11 soldiers will wear identification tags at all times while on duty in uniform unless otherwise directed by the commander. Wearing identification tags is governed by AR 600–8–14 and DA Pam 600–8–14.

Question 6

Where can I find official specs for USA military Dog Tags?

Answer

The following resources link directly to the appropriate page on PDF files hosted on government websites.

Question 7

Where can I find the official records to put on the Dog Tags?

Answer

If you are looking to make a replacement set of Dog Tags for yourself or in memory of a family member who is a veteran, you can find all of the information required on the DD Form 214 (discharge papers), here is a good article on how to request it. This Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, generally referred to as a "DD 214", is a document of the United States Department of Defense, issued upon a military service member's retirement, separation, or discharge from active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States. This form contains the following dogtag related information:

Question 8

Where can I research my relative's military records?

Answer

If you are researching historical records about WWII and Korean War Era Dog Tags and those who served we recommend visiting the following sites:

Fold3.com
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National Archives Military Records
National Archives Enlisted Records (1938-1946)
National Archives Reserve Corps Records (1938-1946)
eVetrRecs for Veterans and Next of Kin
National Archives Veteran's Service Records Request
Request DD 214/ Separation Documents, Official Military Personnel File (OMPF), Replacement Medals, Medical and Health Records

Question 9

What is the evolution of US Army Dog Tags?

Answer

A brief history of Dog Tags including formatting, content, etc:

Dec 20 1906 : Introduction of single Dog Tag by General Order No. 24.
Jul 06 1916 : Introduction of second Dog Tag (complete pair).
Feb 12 1918 : Introduction of Army Serial Number(as a result of too many identical names e.g. Smith, Brown, Jones, etc)
Oct 1938 : Testing for Introduction of new ID Tag
Feb 15 1940 : Official stocklist number & nomenclature adopted "TAG, IDENTIFICATION, M-1940 - Stock No. 74-T-60"
1940 : 1st type Dec 1940 - Nov 1941
1941 : 2nd type Nov 1941 - Jul 1943
1943 : Bead Neckchain & Extension Stock No. 74-N-300 adopted
1943 : 3rd type Jul 1943 - Mar 1944
1944 : 4th type Mar 1944 - Apr 1946
Jul 17 1947 : New prefix for Enlisted Men’s Dog Tags RA Regular Army
Sep 02 1949 : Army Air Forces introduces special prefixes for Enlisted Men & Women: AA Enlisted WAF (Woman in the Air Force), AD Aviation Cadet, AF Enlisted Airman, AO Air Force Officer
Sep 02 1949 : New Army Regulations AR 615-30 and replacement of "Army Serial Number" designation by "Army Service Number"
1950 : Introduction of the "Rh" factor on Dog Tags, with indication of either "POS" or "NEG" after Blood Type.
Early 1950 : Introduction of new prefixes for Enlisted Men & Women: RO Regular Army Soldier with Reserve Officer’s Commission, WL Regular Army WAC with Reserve Officer's Commission
1952 : Introduction of the letter "X" to designate other religious affiliations not covered under Protestant/Catholic/Jewish faith groups, and the letter "Y" for those who did not have a religious preference. The letter "J" replaced "H" for Jewish US servicemen.
1960 : Notched Dog Tags are no longer used, as new Embossing Machines don't require them for positioning.
Late 1960 : Tetanus inoculation is no longer indicated.
Nov 1962 : Religion codes (i.e. P, C, H) were replaced with the soldier's religion fully spelled out (i.e. Catholic, Protestant).
1964 : Introduction of new prefix for Officers, O is replaced by OF
Oct 1967: : Introduction of "Social Security Number" (SSN) instead of "Army Service Number" (ASN)
Jun 30 1969: : Use of "Army Service Number" terminated.
Aug 12 2012: SSN is replaced by DoD ID (10 Digits no hyphens) in accordance with DODI 1000.30

Cited from Alain Batens

Question 10

Were civilians ever issued Dog Tags?

Answer

Children as young as six were forced to prepare for nuclear Armageddon during the Cold War ... and even had ready-made DOG TAGS so their parents could identify their bodies in the event of a nuclear fallout.

School districts nationwide outfitted their students with inexpensive Dog Tags as a civil defense measure
The Dog Tags were most commonly stamped with the child's name, address, date of birth, phone number and religion for final rites
The effort was promoted by the Federal Civil Defense Administration in posters, pamphlets, films and radio segments
Educators also contemplated tattooing children, but decided against it because the markings wouldn’t be legible once their skin peeled off after a nuclear blast

Cited from JORDAN GASS-POORE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM