Forum: Air Force Life

The teeth thing is an urban legend. It has been dispelled several times, most recently by "The Ol' Gunny" R. Lee Ermey on his show "Mail Call".

Trust me. The chip is where the tag has left the stamper. It really doesn't hold any other significance.

Beers and MiGs were made to be pounded!

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Their was a couple of us that had mutiple sets of tags....some with a religion and some without...depending on the deployment. we just figured better safe then sorry. Rolling Eyes

Had three sets actually
One for deployment, one in my mobility bag in the dorm. and one to Pi$$ off one of the guys who kept trying to convert people

Had to have one that said Reformed Druid on the preference slot.
He walked up to me after looking over everyones Mobility Folder one day to see what religion everyone was and announced he was concerned for my eternal life...
After a few others heard about this they went an had new joke tags made just to annoy this guy..

William G

Funny - all the modern dog tags I've seen don't have the notch. The jam in the teeth thing was just an urban legend. You'd need two notches - one at each end - if you were going to do that. Doesn't make sense anyway - standard place is around the neck so why take the time to move it. This legend dies harder than the <a href="f-16_forum_viewtopic-t-4625.html">Kadena Chicken</a>....

Most aviators wear their tags since even in peacetime something can happen. I laced one into my boot.

As an aside, aviators also get their feet printed (as in fingerprints) as well. Seems in an aircraft fire the soles of the feet are more likely to survive (thick leather boots) then the rest of the body so identification is easier, and provides an alternative to dental records should the two ends of the body get separated.

As for rank, keep in mind the ID card we carry is more correctly called the Geneva Convention Card. Per the GC, if captured, one is required to give name, rank, service number, and date of birth. That's so you can be identified back to the home folks as a POW, also required by the GC (Pity that North Vietnam was not a signatory). So keeping rank off dog tags is not for purposes of protection, but, as stated, because rank changes too often.

As to remains ID they also have DNA samples on all of us now. Dog Tags are quicker but if there isn't much left they can go the DNA route. They are somewhat concerned though about finding an Unknown Soldier for the tomb in the next war.

There will never be another man buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns.

Recent low KIA totals, Real-time battlefield accounting of servicemen (meaning, quickly knowing who in the unit is missing or dead), and Mitochondrial DNA testing has made the task of identifying a serviceman very easy. This is why they were able to exhume 1st LT Michael J. Blassie (USAF) from the Vietnam Unknown crypt and identify his remains.

The Vietnam crypt has been changed to say "Honoring and Keeping Faith with America's Missing Servicemen", meaning that they will now keep remains, and will work until they are identified.

POW/MIA/KIA: Bring them home, or send us back.

swanee wrote:

I have heard support from this and also bullshit called on this by reliable sources. But, I have yet to talk to someone who actually kicked someones jaw shut on their dog tags...

It's still in the air as to whether that is true or not.

My Uncle did during 'Nam. (At least he says he did)

Quote:

I have heard support from this and also bullshit called on this by reliable sources. But, I have yet to talk to someone who actually kicked someones jaw shut on their dog tags...

When I showed my Tags to my Dad (3rd ID,WWII, 2nd ID Korea), they did not have a notch and that confused him. "How the hell do you use these?" he asked. "There's no notch."

"We put them on our boots , now", I replied. "Makes sense", Dad said "We lost alot of heads." Shocked

note to self: don't die in the field of battle or make intents known you don't want your jaw kicked in by the person that was suppose to cover you

I have a pair in my mobility folder, a pair I wear at work, and a pair in my car. I am trying to talk the people up at MPF to get me a pair the has Jedi Knight for the religious preference, but for some reason they won't give me a pair. Shrug

I still take my Roman Catholic dog tags with me on deployments, just in case. I don't think the AF would authorize a Jedi funeral.

My friend was served with the 2nd ID on the DMZ, Korea. While standing inspection onemorning the Lt noticed Paul was wearing a crystal on a necklace.
"Is that a religous medalion, Sergeant?", the Lt asked.
"Yes its LT".
"Which religion?"
"Druid, Mamm."

The next day, evryone in the squad was "Druish"
Paul had it on his tags. "Druish". I saw them.

One thing no one has mentioned yet. The Air Force now requires "AF" to be stamped on the dog tags. No idea whether other services require something similiar.

Forum: Air Force Life

Dog tags