Types of Military Identification

By | January 2, 2011

The United States Armed Forces is comprised of five branches: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard. The amount of individuals involved that represent the United States military is huge, and when dealing with such an astronomical amount of people, identification becomes of the utmost importance. Identification also comes on a variety of levels, starting, of course with the name of the person, but also their number, rank, and, ultimately, their branch. Those in the Armed Forces, as well as their family and friends, will attest to how loyal they are to their individual branches, and are proud to be represented as a member of the Army or Navy, for instance. But their personal identity, especially when surrounded by men and women in identical uniforms, also becomes increasingly important, and name tapes for military personnel is one of the easiest ways to be able to identify an individual in uniform.

Identification of personal belongings is also significant, if only because everyone’s belongings, such as the uniform, are going to look identical. One way to personalize at least one item of the standard uniform is through the use of Army helmet bands, which can be fixed to an individual soldier’s helmet and include his name as well as roster number. The helmet bands sold on military supply websites or in supply shops are made to fit the standardized specifications outlined by the Armed Forces. These supply websites and stores also create and sell Military name tapes. Information that can be included on the name tapes includes the person’s name, as well as their branch of the Armed Forces. Often made of Velcro or plastic, these name tapes can be fixed to the outermost piece of clothing as a means of identifying the person wearing them. Iron-on name tapes are also available as a more permanent way of marking a piece of clothing.

Another thing to consider purchasing is Velcro luggage tags, which are perfect for putting on the duffel bag holding all of your belongings and uniform. Unlike regular luggage tags that the general public uses, because these are made of Velcro, they go right on the outside of the bag itself instead of hanging off the handle. That being said, more traditional luggage tags are available. Usually made from plastic, they can be as decorative as they are functional, such as having an image of your branch’s insignia on one side and your name on the other. Some of the plastic tags even have branch-specific photographs, such as a helicopter for the Army or a jet for the Air Force. However, considering how much the duffels get tossed around, think about investing in the Velcro tags, only because they won’t get caught or tangled on another bag.


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