Yes. Dog tags are still issued to service members in every branch of the U.S. military, and the requirement to wear them while on duty has not gone away. What has changed is the information stamped on them, most notably the shift away from Social Security numbers, and the small differences in layout between branches.
What Is Stamped on a Modern Dog Tag
A current-issue tag carries the service member’s name, a numeric identifier, blood type, and religious preference. Those are the details a medic or mortuary affairs specialist needs in the field without depending on electronics or a database connection.
The numeric identifier is where the biggest recent change sits. The Army stopped putting Social Security numbers on its tags in late 2015, replacing the SSN with a randomly generated ten-digit Department of Defense identification number. A lost pair of tags stamped with a name, SSN, blood type, and religion gave a finder almost everything needed to steal an identity; the DoD ID number carries no personal data on its own. The Air Force made the same switch earlier under a 2012 DoD instruction.
The Navy and Marine Corps have moved more slowly. Marine Corps tags still list the Social Security number alongside the “USMC” designation and gas mask size. Navy tags traditionally include the SSN as well, though individual commands may allow the DoD ID number in its place. If you’re currently serving and unsure which number should be on your tags, ask your unit’s personnel office.
Religious preference is the other line that gets attention. There is no official approved list; service members can have virtually any sincere preference stamped, from a specific denomination to “No Religious Preference,” “Atheist,” “Agnostic,” or entries like “Jedi.”
How the Format Differs by Branch
The tags are the same size and material across the military, but the arrangement of information is not identical.
- Army: As of January 2019, Army tags follow the Air Force format: name, DoD ID number, blood type, and religious preference.
- Air Force: Name, DoD ID number, blood type, and religious preference. The “AF” branch designation once appeared after the ID number but is no longer mandatory.
- Marine Corps: Last name on line one; first and middle initials with blood type on line two; Social Security number on line three; “USMC” with gas mask size on line four; religious preference on line five.
- Navy: Name on the first line (split across two lines if long), then the numeric identifier, “USN,” blood type, and religious preference.
- Coast Guard: Includes a branch identifier on the tag, similar to the Marine Corps.
- Space Force: Guardians go through Air Force basic training, so their tags follow the Air Force format.
The Marine Corps and Coast Guard are the only branches that stamp a branch name directly on the tag. The Army, Navy, and Air Force do not.
When Dog Tags Have To Be Worn
Tags are not optional. Army Regulation 670-1, which governs uniforms and appearance, directs soldiers to wear identification tags at all times while on duty in uniform unless a commander says otherwise. The common exception is physical training, where a neck chain is a safety hazard. Issuance, format, and replacement fall under AR 600-8-14 and its companion pamphlet DA Pam 600-8-14. Other branches have equivalent regulations, and the practical rule is the same: in uniform, on duty, tags on.
Why Two Tags on Two Chains
Every service member receives two identical tags on two chains. The standard setup is one tag on a 24-inch neck chain and a duplicate on a shorter 4-inch chain attached to the longer one. Both are 2.5 mm ball chain; individual soldiers may upgrade to 3 mm. Thinner chains can break and lose a tag, and heavier chains can interfere with recovering the duplicate.
The reason for two comes out of battlefield practice. If a service member is killed, one tag stays with the remains at all times. The second is removed for record-keeping and placed on a wire ring at the burial plot in a temporary cemetery, so that Graves Registration personnel can match remains to records during any later disinterment. If only one tag is found on a casualty, mortuary affairs creates a second to match. If the remains cannot be identified, two tags stamped “unidentified” are made. The two-tag system has been in place since World War I.
Rubber silencers, the black or green gaskets that fit around the rim of each tag, are widely used to keep the tags from clinking together during operations. They are not required by regulation but are standard practice across every branch.
Red Medical Alert Tags
Some service members are issued a separate red medical alert tag in addition to the standard pair. The red tag flags conditions a first responder needs to know about immediately: drug allergies, insect allergies, medication sensitivities, G6PD deficiency, diabetes, or heart disease. A medic treating an unconscious casualty can spot it instantly and adjust treatment. The red tag program has been in use since at least 2007 across Air Force installations and is available in other branches.
Replacing Lost or Damaged Tags
Losing a set of dog tags is not a career-ending event. Active-duty service members can get replacements at no cost through the same office that issues ID cards and Common Access Cards, or through their unit’s mobility or readiness section. There is no formal disciplinary consequence specifically for losing tags, though a commander could treat it as a readiness issue depending on the circumstances. Many units keep their own embossing machines and can produce new tags on the spot.
What Happens to Your Tags After Service
Veterans and retirees who have separated cannot get new tags issued through military channels. The tags you were issued during service become your personal property at separation, and the military will not reissue them to anyone else. There is no rule requiring you to return or destroy them. Commercial vendors sell replicas in the correct military format, but replicas are not official issue. Most veterans simply keep the pair they were given, sometimes worn on special occasions, sometimes tucked away, sometimes passed down.