When did soldiers get dog tags?

The Origin of Military Dog Tags

Ever wonder when soldiers first started wearing those iconic identification tags around their necks? While armies had experimented with ways to identify troops earlier in history, the official practice in the United States military didn't take hold until the early 20th century.

It took a few years of trials, but in December 1906, the Army officially issued a general order requiring soldiers to wear aluminum disc-shaped identification tags. Roughly the size of a half-dollar, these early tags were stamped with essential information, including the soldier's name, rank, company, and regiment or corps. They were then attached to a cord or chain and worn securely around the neck.

Before this standard was put in place, some Civil War soldiers took matters into their own hands by pinning paper notes with their names and home addresses inside their uniforms, or buying engraved metallic tokens. The 1906 order changed all of that, establishing a reliable and uniform way to ensure fallen or wounded service members could be properly identified on the battlefield.