Hey, I heard somewhere that the Army is the only branch of the military that issues dog tags. Is that true? Don't all branches of the military have their own version of dog tags or something similar?
Actually, all branches of the United States military, including the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Space Force, issue identification tags colloquially known as "dog tags." These serve as a way of identifying military personnel, especially useful in the unfortunate event that a member is killed or severely injured.
While the exact information on the tags can vary by branch and over time, they typically include the service member's Name, Social Security Number (now replaced with the DoD ID number), Blood Type, and Religion. In addition, the format, size, and even shape can differ as well. For instance, the Army and the Air Force use rounded rectangular tags, while the Marine Corps' are oval.
It is important to note that not all countries' militaries use dog tags, and the ones that do may have different customs, traditions, or requirements for their tags.
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