US Army changing famous dog tags for first time in 40 years

The U.S. Army says it’s making changes to its iconic dog tags, the identification implements that hangs around a soldier’s neck.

The Army-issued identification tags will replace each soldier’s Social Security number with his or her Defense Department identification number.

Michael Klemowski, the Soldiers Programs Branch chief with the U.S.

Army Human Resources Command, said the shift “will be implemented on an as-needed basis,” according to a release on the Army’s website.

“This change is not something where soldiers need to run out and get new tags made,” Klemowski said. “We are focusing first on the personnel who are going to deploy. If a soldier is going to deploy, they are the first ones that need to have the new ID tags.”

The change is outlined in a new version of the Department of the Army Pamphlet 600-8-14, released Nov. 30, and comes after more than four decades of Social Security numbers being used on dog tags.

Some say the change is long overdue.

“I’m shocked that it wasn’t changed YEARS ago!!!,” Lynette Lauer posted to the Herald’s Facebook page.

Other Facebook users shared Lauer’s sentiment.

“It’s about time. It should have been done a long time ago,” posted Heather Dawn.

Agencies/Canadajournal