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.

Does every military branch get dog tags?

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.

Why is there a notch in a dog tag?

A gruesome rumor circulated that the notch was put in the tag so that the tag could be placed in a dead soldier’s mouth hold it open to prevent the body from gaseous bloating. However, the real reason for the notch was that the stamping machine required it to hold the tag in place during embossing.

What does T43 mean on dog tag?

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).

How many beads are on an Army dog tag?

Facts are few and far between on this particular piece of folklore, but it is said that “official” issued dogs tags are attached to a 365-bead chain for the first tag and a 52-bead chain for the secondary one. These numbers represent the days and weeks in a year.

How do I read old military dog 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. Fourth line is USMC followed by gas mask size.

What do 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).