DD Form 1576 is the Department of Defense’s blue Test/Modification Tag, attached to a serviceable item to show it still needs testing, modification, conversion, technical data marking, or disassembly before it can be issued without restriction. The tag assigns the item Supply Condition Code D, which signals to everyone downstream that the equipment works but is not yet cleared for general distribution.1Defense Logistics Agency. Condition Codes It comes in two formats: the hanging tag (DD Form 1576) and a pressure-sensitive adhesive label (DD Form 1576-1).2Department of Defense Washington Headquarters Services. DoD Forms 1500-1999
When To Use the Tag
Attach a 1576 to any serviceable item that requires a defined technical step before unrestricted issue. Air Force Technical Order 00-20-3 states it directly: prepare DD Form 1576 or 1576-1 and assign Condition Code D when an item is serviceable but still needs testing, alteration, modification, conversion, technical data marking, or disassembly.3Tinker Air Force Base. TO 00-20-3
A few situations do not call for a blue tag. Items that need only a routine inspection or test immediately before issue are not tagged this way, and neither are Type II shelf-life items whose expiration date has passed.3Tinker Air Force Base. TO 00-20-3 If the item is broken, it belongs under DD Form 1577 (condemned) or DD Form 1577-2 (reparable). If its serviceability is in question rather than confirmed, use DD Form 1575 (suspended). The 1576 is specifically for items already confirmed serviceable with a known technical step remaining.
How To Get a Copy
DD Form 1576 is a controlled form, so you cannot download a blank copy from the usual DoD forms library. Request copies from the Army’s Forms Management Branch at usarmy.pentagon.hqda-apd.mbx.forms-management-branch@army.mil.4Department of Defense Washington Headquarters Services. DD1576 The same request covers the 1576-1 adhesive version. Unit supply offices that already stock controlled forms can also issue them internally, which is usually the fastest route.
Filling Out the Tag
The form captures what a downstream technician or warehouse handler needs to identify the item and understand what work remains.
Item Identification
Record the thirteen-digit National Stock Number, which is composed of the four-digit Federal Supply Classification followed by the nine-digit National Item Identification Number.5Defense Logistics Agency. National Stock Numbers Add the nomenclature (the plain-language name) and the manufacturer’s part number so the receiving facility can verify it has the correct item. Include any serial or lot number. That audit trail matters if a defect surfaces in a specific production batch and related items have to be pulled.
Quantity and Unit of Issue
Enter the exact quantity and the unit of issue: each, set, dozen, and so on. A mismatch here throws the automated inventory system out of sync with the shelf, and reconciling that usually requires a separate inquiry.
Action Required and Authorization
Describe the specific technical work the item needs. Precise entries save time; “requires radar calibration per TO 33-1-141” routes the item correctly, while “needs testing” does not. The authorized inspector prints and signs their name and enters the date of inspection. That signature confirms the item met the baseline criteria for serviceability before being routed for its remaining technical work.
Attaching the Tag
Pick the format that suits the item. For the hanging DD Form 1576, thread durable wire or high-tensile twine through the reinforced eyelet and fasten the tag to a stable, non-moving part of the item. Keep it off surfaces that will abrade it in handling and off moving components that will tear it away in transit. It should be visible without pulling packaging or covers.
For smaller items or items with no good attachment point, use the DD Form 1576-1 adhesive label. Clean the surface of oil, dust, or moisture so the label bonds properly, and apply it to the most prominent face of the item or its container. A label that peels off in storage leaves the item effectively unidentified, and it can sit in limbo until someone re-inspects it.
What Happens After the Tag Goes On
The item routes to the maintenance facility, calibration lab, or technical shop designated to perform the required work. Update the automated materiel management system at the same time so the digital record mirrors the physical tag; without that update, the item is invisible to anyone not standing in front of it.
When the work is complete, the technician removes the 1576 and replaces it with the tag that matches the item’s new condition. A passing item typically moves to DD Form 1574 (Serviceable) under Condition Code A. If testing reveals a problem, the item may shift to DD Form 1575 (Suspended) for further investigation, or to DD Form 1577-2 (Unserviceable — Reparable) if it needs depot-level repair.1Defense Logistics Agency. Condition Codes The condition code in the automated system is updated at the same time so the physical and digital records agree.
How the 1576 Differs From Nearby Tags
The distinction that trips people up most often is between the 1576 and the 1575. A suspended item under a 1575 may turn out to be fine or condemned once someone investigates: its status is unresolved. A 1576-tagged item is already confirmed serviceable, with a defined technical step left before issue. Sending a genuinely questionable item to a modification shop on a blue tag can leave it with a shop that has neither the authority nor the equipment to evaluate what is actually wrong.