What do real military dog tags say?

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).
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How can you tell if dog tags are real?

Check the serial number. If your dog tag has a serial number and it dates from after 1969, it is probably fake. The Army switched to Social Security numbers after 1969. From 1967 to 1969 a dog tag might have had a serial number, a Social Security number or both.
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What information goes on dog tags?

What to put on your dog's ID tag
  • Your Pet's Name—Kind of a no-brainer.
  • Your Phone Number—Include a number you're likely to answer. ...
  • Your City— If room allows, include your entire address.
  • Medical Needs— If applicable, adding the phrase “Needs Meds” can add a sense of urgency.
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What is stamped on military dog tags?

Each was mechanically stamped with your name, rank, service number, blood type and religion, if desired. An emergency notification name and address were initially included on these, but they were removed by the end of the war.
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What do USMC dog tags say?

The order further provided that the tags would be stamped as follows: “Officers – full name and rank at date of issue; enlisted men – full name and date of first enlistment in the Marine Corps.
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Boy Discovers Dog Tag And Brings It To Late Soldier’s Family Who Lost It 46 Years Earlier



Why do Marines wear 2 dog tags?

The first tag was to remain with the body, while the second was for burial service record keeping. Like all things military, it is likely the military figured out the need for two dog tags amidst operations.
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What does T43 mean on dog tag?

Brothers, Sons, Fathers, etc) * The number for Corps (Second Fragment) would be the area of enlistment. Tetanus Dates. The dates on line 2 of the styles indicate the tetanus immunization, and the tetanus toxoid injection dates. These would most often be 1 year apart, and preceded by a T for the first date (i.e. T43 44) ...
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Why do soldiers wear 2 dog tags?

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.
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What does POS mean on dog tags?

SMITH JOHN D. 132-12-0999AF. O POS. (open line) NO PREF.
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What do Navy dog tags look like?

The identification tag for officers and enlisted men of the Navy consists of an oval plate of monel metal, 1.25 by 1.50 inches, perforated at one end and suspended from the neck by a monel wire incased in a cotton sleeve. The tag has on one side the etched fingerprint of the right index finger.
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Is wearing dog tags disrespectful?

They may wear the tags to remember and honor their family members. Civilians may also purchase fake dog tags. Fake tags are available with personalized inscriptions. Unlike wearing dog tags that belonged to a loved one, wearing fake dog tags is likely to be considered disrespectful.
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How do you read Army dog tags?

there seems to be many variations that are not as "straight forward" as Army tags. The last name is on the first line and the second line either has both of your initials, or your first name and middle initial. For the third line, the Marines used service numbers which could be 5, 6, or 7 digits.
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Why is there a notch in military 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. The notch became the center of U.S. military troops' first myth around their dog tags.
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Do military dog tags have Social Security numbers them?

Soldiers' Social Security numbers will no longer be part of their dog tags, the Army announced Tuesday. The change, which some have argued is long overdue, is the first update to the ubiquitous identification tags in more than 40 years.
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Are military dog tags embossed or debossed?

United States military issued dog tags are imprinted with one of two types of letters: embossed or debossed, both of which are valid since both types of machines are still used depending on the base. However, embossed is far more common.
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Do soldiers keep their dog tags?

There's no specific protocol for what happens to dog tags after leaving the service, whether by discharge or death. Former service members do not have to return them to the military, but they also can choose whether or not to keep them. For the ones of fallen soldiers, there may or may not be a choice in what happens.
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Does the Navy still issue dog tags?

The U.S. Navy no longer issues Dog Tags to its sailors, however you can still order replica mil-spec tags as replacements from us. Read more about the history of US Navy Dogtags.
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What do you do with old military dog tags?

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. The address is: 1400 Defense Pentagon Washington, DC 20301-1400.
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Can males have dreads in the Army?

Males are not authorized to wear braids, cornrows, or dreadlocks (unkempt, twisted, matted, individual parts of hair) while in uniform or in civilian clothes on duty.
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Does the Air Force issue dog tags?

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.
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What was on Vietnam dog tags?

Above and Beyond comprises 58,307 dog tags. Each dog tag represents a person in the Vietnam War and is arranged in date order of death. And, each dog tag shows their name, casualty date, and military branch.
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What do black dog tags mean?

The black dog tag was first used by the military personnel. It was used as identification for the military personnel. It is similar to dog tags which are placed on dogs to be able to identify them, if they get lost or killed.
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Are black dog tags authorized in the Army?

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).
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What do Marine Corp dog tags look like?

What is the USMC Dog Tags format? Our replica USMC Dog Tags have Embossed (raised) text on a 2" x 1⅛" dull stainless steel Dog Tag, rolled edge up, hole on left with the suggested regulation format: [Lastname] [First Initial].
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