What does it mean when a man gives you his dog tags from the army?

37 comments

1. It means that if he is called back to duty, then you have to go instead.

2. As someone who did it.
   My ex (girlfriend at the time) just always missed me, and I had spare dog tags and I thought giving them to her to wear will make her feel like I’m with her.

3. Not a tradition I’ve heard of. Trainees get two dog tags during first week of basic training processing. They mean different things to different people, but not many value them very much – they’re like little metal ID cards. Put ’em on your car keys.

4. He’s enlisting you in his place congrats

5. It means you now have access to his social security number

6. Ask him? It’s clearly an act that has a meaning for him, if you care about him, presumably you’d be interested in what that personal meaning is.

7. I’m a veteran. While this is a thing when a service member goes on deployments or even long training missions, it seems kind of awkward to do this when you’re not leaving. “Here, I want you to have these. Use them to remember me while I’m in the den watching the game.”

   I imagine this was meant to just be a nice gesture. They’re clearly important to him, and I imagine giving them to you is meant to signify that you’re important to him too. I feel like there’s a bit of “you’re welcome for my service” wrapped up in this, but overall, it seems like a sweet and harmless gesture.

8. You were the first Woman he saw after Basic Training.

9. Boots gonna be Boots.

10. Dog tags originally were to identify the dead.

    Some people see it like a promise ring or like wearing his high school ring.

11. It means he’s a boot.

12. He no longer anticipates dying in battle

13. I was in the military, never saw combat until I got married though.

    It’s like a veterans version of a promise ring.

14. Perhaps a symbolic gesture of that he’s happy placing his life in your hands?

15. I think it means that he values you and important to him and he trusts you.

16. It’s a keepsake sort of thing. Like getting his letterman jacket in high school.

17. I’ve been in a rather long time, and I’ve never heard of or even thought about doing this. I guess it could be something symbolic? If someone wanted a pair, sure, but it wouldn’t cross my mind to say “Here, take my tags… Remember me.”

18. It means he’s going to go die somewhere but doesn’t want the body to be identified. Sorry for your loss.

19. It’s along the lines of giving you his class ring.

20. My parents, both Marines, I still wear their dog tags around my neck 24/7 along with my Army tags.

    Just something special to remember them by.

21. I gave mine to my ex to wear cause 1) she liked them 2) it was a way of me sayin im always with her even when I can’t be there

22. If he was a Marine, it means you had the best crayons.

23. He’s your spouse, right?

    ASK HIM YOURSELF.

24. That’s weird. My dogtags had my ssn on them.

25. It means many things. It’s part marking his territory, part expressing he likes you a lot, part we as men know you like to fiddle with your necklace and we kind of want it as a way to know you might think of us more, and part it’s something we wore because we know how y’all like wearing our clothes because it smells like us. It’s a lot like how high school girls wearing their boyfriend’s letter jacket. Or stealing your boyfriend’s hoodies.

26. It means he’s trying to assume your identity so he could leave his impoverished past behind him and mold a new life as a suave, successful but tortured NYC ad executive. Btw it you might be about to blow up

27. He’s picking you up later in his v6 challenger.

28. you are his dependa

29. r/justbootthings

30. It means that he likes you. (Guys only give them to their mom, or serious GFs.)

31. Damn he was hoes before hoorah. Thats what this means smh

32. Thank you for your cervix

33. My SO gave me his tags because I asked for them. He is significantly older and said that he does not support wars and was against my son joining the military, which is why I asked for them—and I wanted something significant to remember him by because GOD forbid something happens to him—and I knew they meant nothing to him. I have since returned them because he has a grandchild and I believe they should go to his grandchild.

34. They will help him identify your body if you die excessively violently

35. It’s a nice romantic gesture like when a guy gives you a hoodie to keep. Just don’t sign any 2062s.

36. Maybe they’re like Marius Blood vial, they show you’re protected by a warrior to other men lmfaoo

37. Ex-military? He’s handing you something that was very important to him at one point. Might still hold sentimental value.