What do you think about the Army changing the dog tag system?

I think it's a great change. It's merely following suit with ID cards. Now, if only the military paperwork will follow suit, as well.

I had a Service Number instead of SSN on my Dog Tags. Removing the SSN is a step in the right direction.

Never should have switched from service specific serial numbers in the early 70's. They said that was such a BIG logical thing to do way back then. Ha... guess not. Now I have my DOD ID # on as never to bmy Ret ID cause the SSN that was "never to be used for ID" was used that way by DOD for 40+ years.

Back to the future. I had a Service Number before I was commissioned as did all military personnel of that era. About the time I became a 2d Lt the Air Force changed over the SSN being your Service Number. If they use the same number on you ID card and dog tags, we're getting pretty close to having a Service Number again. As long as it's kept off publicly available records, it will work pretty well for protecting the SM.

It's a measure that's long overdue - not that I think it should have ever been used in the first place.

I think the change is good.

Two things I remember from Basic training my Service Number 1146..... And the white dots we painted on the back of the high topped black combat boots ,woe be unto you if found in formation with the wrongly designated footwear for the day,smoke was going to be brought and mightily I might add!

That's why I never wore my tags unless I had to. I was hot identity fraud 7 times since I was 19. It was like they watched my credit as much as I did!!! And those fraud alerts don't really work for nothing!
I just pay cash for everything now and stay as far away from cell contracts, credit cards and checks as possible. And make sure to check your kids SSN because they use it too!

I think it is a good move, although not enough. The Army still uses the last four digits of social security number for lots of things. You can usually see those "Last 4" stenciled on duffel bags. It is also used on paperwork as well. if you have that, you have half the equation. So if you know where someone was born and the year, it is fairly easy to find the location and year codes, which when added to the "Last 4" yields the entire Social Security number. Once the Army gets rid of using the "Last 4" then things will be a little bit better.

The Army has been issuing dog tags for about 100 years. Times have changed. While I like tradition, I think it may be time to move on. On the other hand - I don't like the idea of implanting microchips in people which is probably the next step.