Service number (United States Army)
Encyclopedia
Service numbers were used by the United States Army from 1918 until 1969. Prior to this time, the Army relied on muster
rolls as a means of indexing enlisted service members while officers were usually listed on yearly rolls maintained by the United States War Department. In the nineteenth century, the Army also used pay records as a primary means of identifying service members after discharge.
s (SNs) were first created in 1918 as a result of the United States Army
becoming involved in World War I and the need for a record tracking system capable of indexing the millions of soldiers who were joining the ranks of the National Army
. Prior to this time, the only way to index lists of soldiers was by use of roster
s and muster
rolls. As the National Army rose into the millions, this old method of musters and rosters became outdated and a new system had to be developed.
The decision to create Army service numbers was made in February 1918 with the first service numbers to be issued only to Army enlisted personnel. The Army officer corps was still relatively small and the Navy was still maintaining ship rosters to keep track of its personnel. The Marine Corps and Coast Guard were also relatively small organizations without the need for a service number system to track personnel.
The first soldier to receive an Army service number during the First World War was Master Sergeant
Arthur Crean
who was designated to hold service #1 in the National Army
in February 1918. Throughout the remainder of World War I, service numbers were issued to most enlisted personnel with the numbers eventually ranging from 1 to 5,999,999.
In 1920, a year after the close of World War I, the Army introduced the first "service number prefix" which was intended to be a letter placed in front of the service number to provide additional information about the veteran. The first prefix to be created was R which was used to identify Regular Army personnel who had reenlisted after the close of World War I and the disbandment of the National Army. Again, Arthur Crean was the first person to receive a service number prefix and his new service number became R-1. The Army also created an F prefix for those who had served as World War I field clerks.
That same year, the Army opened up the service number rolls to officers and issued the first officer number to John J. Pershing
. Pershing held officer service number #1 with the prefix O making his service number O-1. In 1935, the Army created a second officer prefix AO intended for Regular Army officers who were aviators in the Army Air Corps
.
The Army officer number system was determined simply by seniority and entry date into the Army officer corps; between 1921 and 1935, officer numbers ranged from 1 to 19,999. Enlisted service numbers continued in a similar fashion with enlisted numbers picking up where the World War I numbers had left off; between 1919 and 1940 the numbers ranged from 6,000,000 to 7,099,999. Enlisted personnel who were World War I veterans continued to hold their pre 6 million service numbers.
had been introduced and the Army of the United States
was founded to serve as a mixed volunteer and draft force raised to fight in the coming war.
Due to the vast numbers of personnel entering the Army ranks, a major expansion to the service number system was required. The original concept was to simply continue with the old service number system and begin with new numbers starting at 8,000,000. The Army, however, chose a more complicated design with new numbers beginning at 10,000,000. The eight and nine million series were reserved for special uses; eight million service numbers would later be used strictly by female Army personnel while the nine million service numbers were never issued.
The war time service numbers began at 10 000 000 and extended to 19 999 999. The "ten million" series were reserved solely for those who had enlisted into the Regular Army (i.e. were not drafted) from recruiting stations outside of the 48 states of the US. The first number after the "ten" would indicate the geographical region from which a person had enlisted with the remaining numbers an identification number for the soldier. The only confirmed geographical codes were 10 1 (for Hawaii
), 10 2 (for Panama
), and 10 4 (for Puerto Rico
). The remaining number codes (3,5,6,7,8,9, and zero) were unassigned and used by various recruiting stations outside the United States. The District of Columbia also used a ten million code.
The 11 through 19 million series (11 000 000 - 19 999 999) were issued to Regular Army enlisted personnel who had enlisted after 1940. The first two numbers were determined by what state a person was recruited from, the next six were an identifying number for the service member; thus, for each geographical area there was an available range of 999,999 service numbers. The various geographical number codes were as follows:
11: Connecticut
, Maine
, Massachusetts
, New Hampshire
, Rhode Island
, Vermont
12: Delaware
, New Jersey
, New York
13: Maryland
, Pennsylvania
, Virginia
14: Alabama
, Florida
, Georgia
, Mississippi
, North Carolina
, South Carolina
, Tennessee
15: Indiana
, Kentucky
, Ohio
, West Virginia
16: Illinois
, Michigan
, Wisconsin
17: Colorado
, Iowa
, Kansas
, Minnesota
, Missouri
, Nebraska
, North Dakota
, South Dakota
, Wyoming
18: Arkansas
, Louisiana
, New Mexico
, Oklahoma
, Texas
19: Alaska
, Arizona
, California
, Idaho
, Montana
, Nevada
, Oregon
, Utah
, Washington
Army officers continued to be assigned service numbers based on when they joined the officer corps with a service number range of 1 to 20,000. In 1936, the Army extended the service numbers to 499,999 and, in 1942, officer service numbers were extended again to 3,000,000.
Officers of the Regular Army were assigned lower service numbers, with West Point graduates receiving the lowest of all in the 20,000 to 50,000 range. The service numbers 800,000 through 999,999 were reserved for officers with special duties while the higher service numbers were held by direct commission officers or officers of the Officer Reserve Corps (the predecessor to the United States Army Reserve
)
By 1942, the Army had also discontinued the prefix O and established that all officer numbers would begin with a zero. For instance, an officer with the service number 2,345,678 would have the number written in military records as 02 345 678.
The remaining enlisted draft force of the Army of the United States were issued service numbers in the 30 million range. Service number ranged from 30 000 000 to 39 999 999. As with Regular Army service numbers, the first two numbers corresponded to a geographical area where a person had been drafted and the last six were a personal identifier. The geographical codes were as follows:
31: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
32: Delaware, New Jersey, New York
33: Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia
34: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee
35: Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia
36: Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin
37: Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming
38: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
39: Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington
The 30 code was reserved for those who had been drafted from outside the United States with the third number following the "30" determining the extra-US draft location. The only extra-US draft codes which were ever established were 30 2 (Panama) and 30 4 (Puerto Rico).
In 1942, the Army expanded the enlisted conscript service numbers and created the forty million service number series ranging from 40 000 000 to 49 999 999. These numbers were to be used for persons drafted under special circumstances or for those assigned to special duties. In all, the only forty million numbers that were ever issued ranged from 42 000 000 to 46 999 999. The forty million numbers were discontinued after World War II and never reused.
A final service number series of World War II was the ninety million series (90 000 000 - 99 999 999) which was reserved for members of the Philippine Army
who had been called up to serve in the ranks of the U.S. Army. These numbers were rarely issued and the ninety million series was permanently discontinued after World War II.
During World War II, the Army also expanded the service number prefixes to include several new one letter designators in addition the original three prefixes (R, F, and O) which had been created after World War I. In all, the following prefixes were used during World War II.
A: Used by female members of the Women Army Corps
F: Used by field clerks during the First World War
K: Used by female reserve and specialist officers with service numbers 100 001 and higher
L: Used by enlisted members of the Women's Army Corps
N: Used by female nurse officers
O: Used by Regular Army officers
R: Used by Army enlisted personnel with service #s from 1 to 5 999 999 upon reenlistment
T: Used by flight officers appointed from an enlisted status
V: Used by officers of the Women Army Corps
W: Used by Regular Army Warrant Officers
In October 1945, the Army discontinued the prefix "R" and issued the prefix "RA" to all members of the Regular Army. At the same time, the Army added several other R series prefixes to deal with special enlisted situations. In all, the R prefix series was:
RA: Regular Army enlisted personnel
RM: Regular Army enlisted personnel holding temporary appointments as Warrant Officers
RO: Used by Regular Army enlisted personnel holding temporary reserve officer commissions
RP: Retired enlisted personnel recalled to active duty
RV: Female warrant officers granted reserve commissioned officer billets
RW: Male warrant officers granted reserve commissioned officer billets
After World War II, the Army of the United States began to be disbanded and the thirty and forty million series were discontinued. Personnel of the Regular Army continued to be cycled through the 10 - 19 million series while Army officers continued to be issued numerical numbers determined by date of commission. By the end of the 1940s, the 3,000,000 service number cap for officers had yet to be reached.
Between 1945 and 1947, the World War II draft force was slowly disbanded with the 30 and 40 million service number series formally discontinued. Personnel who chose to remain on active duty kept their original serive numbers, regardless of their new component. The United States Air Force
was also founded in September 1947, with enlisted personnel transferring into the new organization with their old Army service numbers while officers were either issued a new number or kept their Army number as well.
In 1948, the Army opened up the 50 million service number series. These numbers would range from 50 000 000 to 59 999 999 and would be assigned to personnel who were either drafted into the Army of the United States or who enlisted into the Army Reserve. As with the older 30 million numbers, the first two numbers were determined by the geographical region from which a soldier was drafted or had enlisted. Numbers beginning with "50" specified an entry location outside the United States with 50 0 reserved for Hawaii, 50 1 reserved for Panama and Puerto Rico, and 50 2 reserved for Alaska. Within the United States, the geographical codes were:
51: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont
52: Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia
53: Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee
54: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
55: Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming
56: Arizona, California, Idaho, Georgia, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington
Service numbers beginning with 57, 58, and 59 were not assigned a specific geographical region and were used for enlisted personnel in the Army Reserve or those assigned to special duties. When the Korean War
began in 1950, this service number system was used throughout the conflict and through the remainder of the 1950s. The Regular Army service number system, ranging from 10 to 19 million, remained unchanged.
Officer service numbers during this period ranged from 50 000 to 500 000 (set aside for West Point graduates and Regular Army officers) and 500 001 to 3 000 000 used by reserve and direct appointment officers. All officer service numbers by this point were preceded by a zero.
. Lower service numbers below 500 000 were only issued to West Point graduates and other Regular Officers; by 1969, the highest service number issued to a West Point graduate was slightly above 120 000.
Enlisted service numbers during this post-Korea/pre-Vietnam era remained unchanged with the Regular Army continuing to cycle through the 10 - 19 million series while the draft force was assigned service numbers in the 50 to 59 million range. In 1966, with the heating up of the Vietnam War
, it was realized by the Army that a great more number of troops would be needed. A consideration was made to again revise the service number system which resulted in the Army activating the 60 million enlisted service number series in 1967. Officer service numbers remained unchanged.
The new enlisted service numbers applied only to those drafted and ranged from 60 000 000 to 69 999 999 with the first two numbers a recruiting code and the last six a personal identifier. At the same time, there were still a wide variety of older enlisted numbers still active, ranging back to the thirty million series used during World War II.
By 1968, the Army had also declared the final version of service number prefixes. The most common prefixes were the following two letter codes:
ER: Used by enlisted members of the Army Reserve
FR: Used by some Army reservists from the late 1940s through 1962
KF: Used by female Regular Army officers
NG: Used by National Guard enlisted personnel
OF: Used by male Regular Army officers
UR: Used by draft personnel who are appointed as officers in the Regular Army
US: Used by conscripted enlisted personnel
The following special prefixes for medical personnel were also declared during the mid 1960s:
MJ: Used by Occupational Therapist Officers
MM: Used by Physical Therapist Officers
MN: Used by male members of the Army Nurse Corps
MR: Used by Army enlisted dieticians
The Army also used the following one letter prefixes for a brief period of time in the 1960s:
O: Used by some Army specialist officers
R: Used by Army officer dieticians
From the late 1950s through the mid 1960s, the Army also had established the following special prefix codes for female personnel:
WA: Used by enlisted members of the Women Army Corps
WL: Used by female Regular Army personnel granted officer commissions in the Army Reserve
WM: Used by female Regular Army personnel granted warrant officer commissions in the Army Reserve
WR: Used by female enlisted reservists attached to the Women Army Corps
The Regular Army prefix codes RA, RM, RO, RP, RV, and RW remained unchanged from their post World War II origins.
.
Beginning in 1940, National Guardsmen who were federalized were given Army service numbers in the 20 million range with numbers ranging from 20 00 000 to 20 999 999. Guardsmen federalized from Hawaii were issued service numbers beginning with 20 1 while 20 2 through 20 9 was used randomly by other states.
After the close of World War II, all states began issuing guard personnel service numbers whether or not the guardsman had been federalized. National Guard service numbers were extended from their previous cap of 20 999 999 to a new range from 20 000 000 to 29 999 999. The first two numbers were a state identification code while the last six a personal identifier.
The National Guard issued service numbers until the late 1960s when the Social Security number
became the standard means of identifying guard personnel. National Guard service numbers were formally discontinued in 1969.
It was not recorded who exactly held the last service number of the United States Army. The highest service number for the draft force was in the 68 million range, however since Social Security numbers were being commonly used instead of service numbers, the identity of the soldier who held this number is unknown. The Regular Army, which had issued service numbers by geographical codes since World War II, had several numbers which could be interpreted as the final service number of the 10 - 19 million series.
The highest Army officer service numbers were issued slightly above 05 850 999 although there are no clear records of who held these final numbers, again due to Social Security numbers being used for record keeping instead of service numbers. The last Regular Army service number was somewhere in the 130 000 to 140 000 range.
After 1969, the Army completely converted to Social Security numbers for the identification of military personnel.
In 1940, when the United States Army expanded its service numbers beyond ten million, the range of 10 000 000 to 10 999 999 was reserved for Regular Army enlisted personnel who joined from recruiting stations outside the United States. With 999,999 service numbers available in this range, the Regular Army was able to issue service numbers to extra-US enlistees, without repeating numbers, until the disestablishment of service numbers in 1969.
The remaining range of 11 000 000 to 19 999 999 was reserved for Regular Army personnel who enlisted from within the United States with the first two numbers a geographical code and the last six a personal identifier. This gave geographical recruiting areas 999,999 service numbers a piece to allocate to new recruits. The Army directed that every effort should be made to avoid repeating service numbers and allocated only a certain block of numbers for certain time periods of enlistments. The matter was made even more complicated when the Regular Air Force came into being in 1947, also with instructions that the 11–19 million service numbers should not be repeated nor should an Air Force service member be given a service numbers already held by a Regular Army soldier.
In general, both the Army and Air Force made every effort to avoid repeating service numbers although some mistakes did occur. The final breakdown of Regular Army service numbers by time period was as follows:
Draft force service numbers in the 30 and 50 million range also used geographical codes but were free to use all 999,999 possible personal identification numbers for the entire period of the draft. The 30 million series was used for World War II draftees and the 50 million for the Korean War and early Vietnam. The 60 million series of the late Vietnam War was issued without restriction.
According to U.S. Army records, despite efforts to avoid duplicate service numbers, there have been at least six occurrences of an Army soldier who was issued the service number "12 345 678".
Muster
Muster may refer to:* Muster , a process or event for the of accounting for members in a military unit* Muster , the rounding-up of livestock* Muster , a competitive skills event held between fire departments...
rolls as a means of indexing enlisted service members while officers were usually listed on yearly rolls maintained by the United States War Department. In the nineteenth century, the Army also used pay records as a primary means of identifying service members after discharge.
World War I
Service numberService number
A service number is an identification code used to identify a person within a large group. Service numbers are most often associated with the military; however, they may be used in civilian term as well...
s (SNs) were first created in 1918 as a result of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
becoming involved in World War I and the need for a record tracking system capable of indexing the millions of soldiers who were joining the ranks of the National Army
National Army
The term national army has many meanings around the world, and is used typically, but not necessarily, to mean the lawful army of the state as distinct from rebel armies or private armies that may operate there.National Army may also refer to:...
. Prior to this time, the only way to index lists of soldiers was by use of roster
Roster
A roster is a list of names of people involved with an organization of some kind.A roster can be a list of people and the times when they are required to work or a list of students in a classroom....
s and muster
Muster (military)
The term muster designates the process or event for the of accounting for members in a military unit. Within the United States Army Reserve, it is an annual event used for screening purposes.-Historical:...
rolls. As the National Army rose into the millions, this old method of musters and rosters became outdated and a new system had to be developed.
The decision to create Army service numbers was made in February 1918 with the first service numbers to be issued only to Army enlisted personnel. The Army officer corps was still relatively small and the Navy was still maintaining ship rosters to keep track of its personnel. The Marine Corps and Coast Guard were also relatively small organizations without the need for a service number system to track personnel.
The first soldier to receive an Army service number during the First World War was Master Sergeant
Master Sergeant
A master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in some armed forces.-Israel Defense Forces:Rav samal rishoninsignia IDF...
Arthur Crean
Arthur Crean
Arthur B. Crean was a master sergeant in the United States Army during World War I. Master Sergeant Crean holds the distinction of being the first ever United States armed forces member to be issued a service number and thus holds service #1 in the United States Army.Crean enlisted the United...
who was designated to hold service #1 in the National Army
National Army
The term national army has many meanings around the world, and is used typically, but not necessarily, to mean the lawful army of the state as distinct from rebel armies or private armies that may operate there.National Army may also refer to:...
in February 1918. Throughout the remainder of World War I, service numbers were issued to most enlisted personnel with the numbers eventually ranging from 1 to 5,999,999.
In 1920, a year after the close of World War I, the Army introduced the first "service number prefix" which was intended to be a letter placed in front of the service number to provide additional information about the veteran. The first prefix to be created was R which was used to identify Regular Army personnel who had reenlisted after the close of World War I and the disbandment of the National Army. Again, Arthur Crean was the first person to receive a service number prefix and his new service number became R-1. The Army also created an F prefix for those who had served as World War I field clerks.
That same year, the Army opened up the service number rolls to officers and issued the first officer number to John J. Pershing
John J. Pershing
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
. Pershing held officer service number #1 with the prefix O making his service number O-1. In 1935, the Army created a second officer prefix AO intended for Regular Army officers who were aviators in the Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
.
The Army officer number system was determined simply by seniority and entry date into the Army officer corps; between 1921 and 1935, officer numbers ranged from 1 to 19,999. Enlisted service numbers continued in a similar fashion with enlisted numbers picking up where the World War I numbers had left off; between 1919 and 1940 the numbers ranged from 6,000,000 to 7,099,999. Enlisted personnel who were World War I veterans continued to hold their pre 6 million service numbers.
World War II
By 1940, it was obvious to most in the U.S. military establishment that America would soon be involved in a major war. To that end, conscriptionConscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
had been introduced and the Army of the United States
Army of the United States
The Army of the United States is the official name for the conscription force of the United States Army that may be raised at the discretion of the United States Congress in the event of the United States entering into a major armed conflict...
was founded to serve as a mixed volunteer and draft force raised to fight in the coming war.
Due to the vast numbers of personnel entering the Army ranks, a major expansion to the service number system was required. The original concept was to simply continue with the old service number system and begin with new numbers starting at 8,000,000. The Army, however, chose a more complicated design with new numbers beginning at 10,000,000. The eight and nine million series were reserved for special uses; eight million service numbers would later be used strictly by female Army personnel while the nine million service numbers were never issued.
The war time service numbers began at 10 000 000 and extended to 19 999 999. The "ten million" series were reserved solely for those who had enlisted into the Regular Army (i.e. were not drafted) from recruiting stations outside of the 48 states of the US. The first number after the "ten" would indicate the geographical region from which a person had enlisted with the remaining numbers an identification number for the soldier. The only confirmed geographical codes were 10 1 (for Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
), 10 2 (for Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
), and 10 4 (for Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
). The remaining number codes (3,5,6,7,8,9, and zero) were unassigned and used by various recruiting stations outside the United States. The District of Columbia also used a ten million code.
The 11 through 19 million series (11 000 000 - 19 999 999) were issued to Regular Army enlisted personnel who had enlisted after 1940. The first two numbers were determined by what state a person was recruited from, the next six were an identifying number for the service member; thus, for each geographical area there was an available range of 999,999 service numbers. The various geographical number codes were as follows:
11: Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
12: Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
13: Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
14: Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
15: Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
16: Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
17: Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
18: Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
19: Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, Washington
Army officers continued to be assigned service numbers based on when they joined the officer corps with a service number range of 1 to 20,000. In 1936, the Army extended the service numbers to 499,999 and, in 1942, officer service numbers were extended again to 3,000,000.
Officers of the Regular Army were assigned lower service numbers, with West Point graduates receiving the lowest of all in the 20,000 to 50,000 range. The service numbers 800,000 through 999,999 were reserved for officers with special duties while the higher service numbers were held by direct commission officers or officers of the Officer Reserve Corps (the predecessor to the United States Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
)
By 1942, the Army had also discontinued the prefix O and established that all officer numbers would begin with a zero. For instance, an officer with the service number 2,345,678 would have the number written in military records as 02 345 678.
The remaining enlisted draft force of the Army of the United States were issued service numbers in the 30 million range. Service number ranged from 30 000 000 to 39 999 999. As with Regular Army service numbers, the first two numbers corresponded to a geographical area where a person had been drafted and the last six were a personal identifier. The geographical codes were as follows:
31: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
32: Delaware, New Jersey, New York
33: Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia
34: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee
35: Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia
36: Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin
37: Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming
38: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
39: Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington
The 30 code was reserved for those who had been drafted from outside the United States with the third number following the "30" determining the extra-US draft location. The only extra-US draft codes which were ever established were 30 2 (Panama) and 30 4 (Puerto Rico).
In 1942, the Army expanded the enlisted conscript service numbers and created the forty million service number series ranging from 40 000 000 to 49 999 999. These numbers were to be used for persons drafted under special circumstances or for those assigned to special duties. In all, the only forty million numbers that were ever issued ranged from 42 000 000 to 46 999 999. The forty million numbers were discontinued after World War II and never reused.
A final service number series of World War II was the ninety million series (90 000 000 - 99 999 999) which was reserved for members of the Philippine Army
Philippine Army
The Philippine Army is the ground arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Tagalog is Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas. On July 23, 2010, President Benigno Aquino III appointed Maj. Gen...
who had been called up to serve in the ranks of the U.S. Army. These numbers were rarely issued and the ninety million series was permanently discontinued after World War II.
During World War II, the Army also expanded the service number prefixes to include several new one letter designators in addition the original three prefixes (R, F, and O) which had been created after World War I. In all, the following prefixes were used during World War II.
A: Used by female members of the Women Army Corps
F: Used by field clerks during the First World War
K: Used by female reserve and specialist officers with service numbers 100 001 and higher
L: Used by enlisted members of the Women's Army Corps
Women's Army Corps
The Women's Army Corps was the women's branch of the US Army. It was created as an auxiliary unit, the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps on 15 May 1942 by Public Law 554, and converted to full status as the WAC in 1943...
N: Used by female nurse officers
O: Used by Regular Army officers
R: Used by Army enlisted personnel with service #s from 1 to 5 999 999 upon reenlistment
T: Used by flight officers appointed from an enlisted status
V: Used by officers of the Women Army Corps
W: Used by Regular Army Warrant Officers
In October 1945, the Army discontinued the prefix "R" and issued the prefix "RA" to all members of the Regular Army. At the same time, the Army added several other R series prefixes to deal with special enlisted situations. In all, the R prefix series was:
RA: Regular Army enlisted personnel
RM: Regular Army enlisted personnel holding temporary appointments as Warrant Officers
RO: Used by Regular Army enlisted personnel holding temporary reserve officer commissions
RP: Retired enlisted personnel recalled to active duty
RV: Female warrant officers granted reserve commissioned officer billets
RW: Male warrant officers granted reserve commissioned officer billets
After World War II, the Army of the United States began to be disbanded and the thirty and forty million series were discontinued. Personnel of the Regular Army continued to be cycled through the 10 - 19 million series while Army officers continued to be issued numerical numbers determined by date of commission. By the end of the 1940s, the 3,000,000 service number cap for officers had yet to be reached.
Korean War service numbers
At the end of the Second World War, the United States Army was reorganized into the following components:- Regular Army: The voluntary force of the United States Army
- Army Reserve: The combined force formed from the older Enlisted and Officer Reserve Corps
- Army of the United States: The peacetime draft force
- Army National Guard: State military forces
Between 1945 and 1947, the World War II draft force was slowly disbanded with the 30 and 40 million service number series formally discontinued. Personnel who chose to remain on active duty kept their original serive numbers, regardless of their new component. The United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
was also founded in September 1947, with enlisted personnel transferring into the new organization with their old Army service numbers while officers were either issued a new number or kept their Army number as well.
51: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont
52: Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia
53: Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee
54: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
55: Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming
56: Arizona, California, Idaho, Georgia, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington
Service numbers beginning with 57, 58, and 59 were not assigned a specific geographical region and were used for enlisted personnel in the Army Reserve or those assigned to special duties. When the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
began in 1950, this service number system was used throughout the conflict and through the remainder of the 1950s. The Regular Army service number system, ranging from 10 to 19 million, remained unchanged.
Officer service numbers during this period ranged from 50 000 to 500 000 (set aside for West Point graduates and Regular Army officers) and 500 001 to 3 000 000 used by reserve and direct appointment officers. All officer service numbers by this point were preceded by a zero.
Vietnam era service numbers
In 1954, one year after the close of the Korean War, the Army extended the range of officer service numbers by adding the three and four million series. The new officer service numbers ranged from 1 000 000 to 4 999 999; service numbers from 800 000 to 999 999 were still being used for special duty officers. In 1957, officer numbers were extended again this time to 5 999 999. It was also declared that the three million numbers (3 000 000 – 3 999 999) would only be issued to warrant officersWarrant Officer (United States)
In the United States military, the rank of warrant officer is rated as an officer above the senior-most enlisted ranks, as well as officer cadets and candidates, but below the officer grade of O-1...
. Lower service numbers below 500 000 were only issued to West Point graduates and other Regular Officers; by 1969, the highest service number issued to a West Point graduate was slightly above 120 000.
Enlisted service numbers during this post-Korea/pre-Vietnam era remained unchanged with the Regular Army continuing to cycle through the 10 - 19 million series while the draft force was assigned service numbers in the 50 to 59 million range. In 1966, with the heating up of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, it was realized by the Army that a great more number of troops would be needed. A consideration was made to again revise the service number system which resulted in the Army activating the 60 million enlisted service number series in 1967. Officer service numbers remained unchanged.
The new enlisted service numbers applied only to those drafted and ranged from 60 000 000 to 69 999 999 with the first two numbers a recruiting code and the last six a personal identifier. At the same time, there were still a wide variety of older enlisted numbers still active, ranging back to the thirty million series used during World War II.
By 1968, the Army had also declared the final version of service number prefixes. The most common prefixes were the following two letter codes:
ER: Used by enlisted members of the Army Reserve
FR: Used by some Army reservists from the late 1940s through 1962
KF: Used by female Regular Army officers
NG: Used by National Guard enlisted personnel
OF: Used by male Regular Army officers
UR: Used by draft personnel who are appointed as officers in the Regular Army
US: Used by conscripted enlisted personnel
The following special prefixes for medical personnel were also declared during the mid 1960s:
MJ: Used by Occupational Therapist Officers
MM: Used by Physical Therapist Officers
MN: Used by male members of the Army Nurse Corps
MR: Used by Army enlisted dieticians
The Army also used the following one letter prefixes for a brief period of time in the 1960s:
O: Used by some Army specialist officers
R: Used by Army officer dieticians
From the late 1950s through the mid 1960s, the Army also had established the following special prefix codes for female personnel:
WA: Used by enlisted members of the Women Army Corps
WL: Used by female Regular Army personnel granted officer commissions in the Army Reserve
WM: Used by female Regular Army personnel granted warrant officer commissions in the Army Reserve
WR: Used by female enlisted reservists attached to the Women Army Corps
The Regular Army prefix codes RA, RM, RO, RP, RV, and RW remained unchanged from their post World War II origins.
The National Guard
During World War II, the US Army federalized a large number of National Guard personnel to augment the growing Army of the United States. Prior to 1940, there was no procedure to issue service numbers to National Guard personnel since most personnel served completely under the authority of the state governmentState governments of the United States
State governments in the United States are those republics formed by citizens in the jurisdiction thereof as provided by the United States Constitution; with the original 13 States forming the first Articles of Confederation, and later the aforementioned Constitution. Within the U.S...
.
Beginning in 1940, National Guardsmen who were federalized were given Army service numbers in the 20 million range with numbers ranging from 20 00 000 to 20 999 999. Guardsmen federalized from Hawaii were issued service numbers beginning with 20 1 while 20 2 through 20 9 was used randomly by other states.
After the close of World War II, all states began issuing guard personnel service numbers whether or not the guardsman had been federalized. National Guard service numbers were extended from their previous cap of 20 999 999 to a new range from 20 000 000 to 29 999 999. The first two numbers were a state identification code while the last six a personal identifier.
The National Guard issued service numbers until the late 1960s when the Social Security number
Social Security number
In the United States, a Social Security number is a nine-digit number issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents under section 205 of the Social Security Act, codified as . The number is issued to an individual by the Social Security Administration, an independent...
became the standard means of identifying guard personnel. National Guard service numbers were formally discontinued in 1969.
Discontinuation of Army service numbers
In 1968, the Army activated the seventy million series and in 1969 created eighty million numbers as well. The new numbers, which were to be issued only to the enlisted draft force, ranged from 70 000 000 to 89 999 999. By this time, however, service numbers had been informally discontinued and most military records used Social Security numbers to identify the service member. As a result, on July 1, 1969, service numbers were declared discontinued and no 70 or 80 million series numbers were ever issued.It was not recorded who exactly held the last service number of the United States Army. The highest service number for the draft force was in the 68 million range, however since Social Security numbers were being commonly used instead of service numbers, the identity of the soldier who held this number is unknown. The Regular Army, which had issued service numbers by geographical codes since World War II, had several numbers which could be interpreted as the final service number of the 10 - 19 million series.
The highest Army officer service numbers were issued slightly above 05 850 999 although there are no clear records of who held these final numbers, again due to Social Security numbers being used for record keeping instead of service numbers. The last Regular Army service number was somewhere in the 130 000 to 140 000 range.
After 1969, the Army completely converted to Social Security numbers for the identification of military personnel.
Geographical Codes and Regular Army Distribution
State Geographical Codes were used as the first two numbers of an Army or Air Force enlisted service number to indicate where a soldier had entered the U.S. military. For instance, the service number "12 345 678" would have a geographical code of 12 and a personal identification number of 345,678. A compariosn of the state codes between the Regular Army, World War II draft force, and Korea/Vietnam draft force is as follows:| State | Regular Army Code | World War II Code | Korean/Vietnam War Code |
| Alabama Alabama Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland... |
14 | 34 | 53 |
| Alaska Alaska Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait... |
19 | 39 | 50 2 |
| Arizona Arizona Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix... |
19 | 39 | 56 |
| Arkansas Arkansas Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River... |
18 | 38 | 54 |
| California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
19 | 39 | 56 |
| Colorado Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains... |
17 | 37 | 55 |
| Connecticut Connecticut Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately... |
11 | 31 | 51 |
| Delaware Delaware Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania... |
12 | 32 | 51 |
| Florida Florida Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it... |
14 | 34 | 53 |
| Georgia Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788... |
14 | 34 | 56 |
| Hawaii Hawaii Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of... |
10 1 | 20 1 | 50 0 |
| Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... |
16 | 36 | 55 |
| Idaho Idaho Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state.... |
19 | 39 | 56 |
| Indiana Indiana Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is... |
15 | 35 | 52 |
| Iowa Iowa Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New... |
17 | 37 | 55 |
| Kansas Kansas Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south... |
17 | 37 | 55 |
| Kentucky Kentucky The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth... |
15 | 35 | 52 |
| Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties... |
18 | 38 | 54 |
| Maine Maine Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost... |
11 | 31 | 51 |
| Maryland Maryland Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east... |
13 | 33 | 52 |
| Massachusetts Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010... |
11 | 31 | 51 |
| Michigan Michigan Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake".... |
16 | 36 | 55 |
| Minnesota Minnesota Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state... |
17 | 37 | 55 |
| Mississippi Mississippi Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi... |
14 | 34 | 53 |
| Missouri Missouri Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It... |
17 | 37 | 55 |
| Montana Montana Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,... |
19 | 39 | 56 |
| Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River.... |
17 | 37 | 55 |
| Nevada Nevada Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its... |
19 | 39 | 56 |
| New Hampshire New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian... |
11 | 31 | 51 |
| New Jersey New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware... |
12 | 32 | 51 |
| New Mexico New Mexico New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S... |
18 | 38 | 54 |
| New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... |
12 | 32 | 51 |
| North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte... |
14 | 34 | 53 |
| North Dakota North Dakota North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S.... |
17 | 37 | 55 |
| Ohio Ohio Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus... |
15 | 35 | 52 |
| Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state... |
18 | 38 | 54 |
| Oregon Oregon Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern... |
19 | 39 | 56 |
| Pennsylvania Pennsylvania The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... |
13 | 33 | 52 |
| Rhode Island Rhode Island The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area... |
11 | 31 | 51 |
| South Carolina South Carolina South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence... |
14 | 34 | 53 |
| South Dakota South Dakota South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over... |
17 | 37 | 55 |
| Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area... |
14 | 34 | 53 |
| Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
18 | 38 | 54 |
| Utah Utah Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the... |
19 | 39 | 56 |
| Vermont Vermont Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England... |
11 | 31 | 51 |
| Virginia Virginia The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there... |
13 | 33 | 52 |
| Washington | 19 | 39 | 56 |
| West Virginia West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east... |
15 | 35 | 52 |
| Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is... |
16 | 36 | 55 |
| Wyoming Wyoming Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High... |
17 | 37 | 55 |
In 1940, when the United States Army expanded its service numbers beyond ten million, the range of 10 000 000 to 10 999 999 was reserved for Regular Army enlisted personnel who joined from recruiting stations outside the United States. With 999,999 service numbers available in this range, the Regular Army was able to issue service numbers to extra-US enlistees, without repeating numbers, until the disestablishment of service numbers in 1969.
The remaining range of 11 000 000 to 19 999 999 was reserved for Regular Army personnel who enlisted from within the United States with the first two numbers a geographical code and the last six a personal identifier. This gave geographical recruiting areas 999,999 service numbers a piece to allocate to new recruits. The Army directed that every effort should be made to avoid repeating service numbers and allocated only a certain block of numbers for certain time periods of enlistments. The matter was made even more complicated when the Regular Air Force came into being in 1947, also with instructions that the 11–19 million service numbers should not be repeated nor should an Air Force service member be given a service numbers already held by a Regular Army soldier.
In general, both the Army and Air Force made every effort to avoid repeating service numbers although some mistakes did occur. The final breakdown of Regular Army service numbers by time period was as follows:
| Geographical Code | Allocated Numbers (1940–1945) |
Allocated Numbers (1946–1948) |
Allocated Numbers (1949–1960) |
Allocated Numbers (1961–1969) |
| 11 | 000 000 - 142 500 | 142 501 - 188 000 | 188 001 - 384 000 | 384 000 - 999 999 |
| 12 | 000 000 - 242 000 | 242 001 - 321 000 | 321 001 - 614 900 | 614 901 - 999 999 |
| 13 | 000 000 - 197 500 | 197 501 - 299 700 | 299 701 - 705 500 | 705 501 - 999 999 |
| 14 | 000 000 - 204 500 | 204 501 - 300 770 | 300 771 - 745 000 | 745 001 - 999 999 |
| 15 | 000 000 - 201 000 | 201 001 - 280 500 | 280 501 - 639 615 | 639 616 - 999 999 |
| 16 | 000 000 - 201 500 | 201 501 - 307 000 | 307 001 - 683 100 | 683 101 - 999 999 |
| 17 | 000 000 - 183 500 | 183 501 - 254 500 | 254 501 - 592 940 | 592 941 - 999 999 |
| 18 | 000 000 - 247 100 | 247 101 - 546 000 | 546 001 - 607 725 | 607 726 - 999 999 |
| 19 | 000 000 - 235 500 | 235 501 - 420 000 | 420 001 - 597 661 | 597 662 - 999 999 |
Draft force service numbers in the 30 and 50 million range also used geographical codes but were free to use all 999,999 possible personal identification numbers for the entire period of the draft. The 30 million series was used for World War II draftees and the 50 million for the Korean War and early Vietnam. The 60 million series of the late Vietnam War was issued without restriction.
Notable service numbers
The following service numbers have been held by some of the more famous veterans of the United States Army:- R-1: Arthur CreanArthur CreanArthur B. Crean was a master sergeant in the United States Army during World War I. Master Sergeant Crean holds the distinction of being the first ever United States armed forces member to be issued a service number and thus holds service #1 in the United States Army.Crean enlisted the United...
- O-1: John J. PershingJohn J. PershingJohn Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
- O-2: Leonard WoodLeonard WoodLeonard Wood was a physician who served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Military Governor of Cuba and Governor General of the Philippines. Early in his military career, he received the Medal of Honor. Wood also holds officer service #2 in the Regular Army...
- O-57: Douglas MacArthurDouglas MacArthurGeneral of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
- O-668: Charles F. HumphreyCharles F. HumphreyCharles F. Humphrey was a career United States Army officer who served for over 40 years during the first half of the 20th century, retiring as a Brigadier General in 1940 one year before the entry of the United States of America into World War II.In his early career, as a First lieutenant, he...
- O-2605: George S. PattonGeorge S. PattonGeorge Smith Patton, Jr. was a United States Army officer best known for his leadership while commanding corps and armies as a general during World War II. He was also well known for his eccentricity and controversial outspokenness.Patton was commissioned in the U.S. Army after his graduation from...
- O-3822: Dwight Eisenhower
- O-5284: Norman CotaNorman CotaNorman Daniel "Dutch" Cota, Sr. was a United States Army general during World War II. Cota was heavily involved in the planning and execution of the invasion of France, codenamed Operation Neptune, and the subsequent Battle of Normandy.-Early life:Cota was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, the son...
- O-12043: Leslie GrovesLeslie GrovesLieutenant General Leslie Richard Groves, Jr. was a United States Army Corps of Engineers officer who oversaw the construction of the Pentagon and directed the Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bomb during World War II. As the son of a United States Army chaplain, Groves lived at a...
- O-20362: William P. YarboroughWilliam P. YarboroughLieutenant General William Pelham Yarborough was a United States Army officer and a 1936 graduate of West Point. General Yarborough designed the parachutist badge, paratrooper or 'jump' boots, and the airborne jump uniform. He is known as the 'Father of the Modern Green Berets.' He is descended...
- O-143128: Archibald RooseveltArchibald RooseveltArchibald Bulloch "Archie" Roosevelt , the fifth child of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, was a distinguished U.S. Army officer and commander of U.S. forces in both World War I and II. In both conflicts he was wounded. He earned the Croix de guerre and Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster,...
- O-565390: Clark GableClark GableWilliam Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...
- O-662062: Gene RoddenberryGene RoddenberryEugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry was an American television screenwriter, producer and futurist, best known for creating the American science fiction series Star Trek. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles, California where his father worked as a police officer...
- 073 858: Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr.Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr.General Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf KCB , also known as "Stormin' Norman" and "The Bear", is a retired United States Army General who, while he served as Commander of U.S. Central Command, was commander of the Coalition Forces in the Gulf War of 1991.-Early life:Schwarzkopf was born in Trenton, New...
- 0 357 403: Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
- 0 765 497: Russell JohnsonRussell JohnsonRussell David Johnson is an American television and film actor best known as "The Professor" on the CBS television sitcom Gilligan's Island...
- 05 242 035: Homer HickamHomer HickamHomer Hadley Hickam, Jr. is an American author, Vietnam veteran, and a former NASA engineer. His autobiographical novel Rocket Boys: A Memoir, was a #1 New York Times Best Seller, is studied in many American and international school systems, and was the basis for the popular film October Sky...
- 2371377: Ian WolfeIan WolfeIan Wolfe was an American actor whose films date from 1934 to 1990. Until 1934, he worked as a theatre actor. Wolfe mostly found work as a character actor, appearing in over 270 films...
- 32 325 070: Burl IvesBurl IvesBurl Icle Ivanhoe Ives was an American actor, writer and folk music singer. As an actor, Ives's work included comedies, dramas, and voice work in theater, television, and motion pictures. Music critic John Rockwell said, "Ives's voice .....
- 32 694 076: Burt LancasterBurt LancasterBurton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an American film actor noted for his athletic physique and distinctive smile...
- 32 698 169: Nehemiah PersoffNehemiah PersoffNehemiah Persoff is an American film and television character actor. He was born in Jerusalem, Palestine Mandate.Born in what is now part of Israel, Persoff emigrated with his family to the United States in 1929...
- 32 726 378: Charles DurningCharles DurningCharles Durning is an American actor. With appearances in over 100 films, Durning's memorable roles include police officers in the Oscar-winning The Sting and crime drama Dog Day Afternoon , along with the comedies Tootsie, To Be Or Not To Be and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, the last two...
- 32 738 306: Rod SerlingRod SerlingRodman Edward "Rod" Serling was an American screenwriter, novelist, television producer, and narrator best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his science fiction anthology TV series, The Twilight Zone. Serling was active in politics, both on and off the screen and helped form...
- 32 980 601: Karl MaldenKarl MaldenKarl Malden was an American actor. In a career that spanned more than seven decades, he performed in such classic films as A Streetcar Named Desire, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, On the Waterfront and One-Eyed Jacks...
- 33 455 116: William WindomWilliam Windom (actor)William Windom is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his work on television, including several episodes of The Twilight Zone; playing the character of Glen Morley, a congressman from Minnesota like his own great-grandfather and namesake in The Farmer's Daughter; the character of John...
- 35 425 274: Basil Plumley
- 35 756 363: Don KnottsDon KnottsJesse Donald "Don" Knotts was an American comedic actor best known for his portrayal of Barney Fife on the 1960s television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, a role which earned him five Emmy Awards...
- 36 896 415: Eddie SlovikEddie SlovikEdward Donald Slovik was a private in the United States Army during World War II and the only American soldier to be court-martialled and executed for desertion since the American Civil War....
- 39 531 145: Elisha Cook, Jr.
- 39 563 856: DeForest KelleyDeForest KelleyJackson DeForest Kelley was an American actor known for his iconic roles in Westerns and as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy of the USS Enterprise in the television and film series Star Trek.-Early life:...
- 39 744 068: Robert MitchumRobert MitchumRobert Charles Durman Mitchum was an American film actor, author, composer and singer and is #23 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest male American screen legends of all time...
- ER 11 229 770: Leonard NimoyLeonard NimoyLeonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
- ER 11 530 137: Todd AkinTodd AkinWilliam Todd Akin is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district includes the western St. Louis suburbs of Ballwin, Kirkwood, Chesterfield, Wildwood, Town and Country, and Des Peres located along Interstate 270 in West County and the...
- NG 28 296 022: Brion JamesBrion JamesBrion Howard James was an American character actor. Known for playing the character of Leon Kowalski in the movie Blade Runner, James portrayed a variety of colorful roles in well-known films such as 48 Hrs., Another 48 Hours, Tango & Cash, Silverado, Red Heat, The Player and The Fifth Element...
- US 51 214 821: Richard HerdRichard HerdRichard Herd, Jr. is an American actor in television and film. He is well known in the science fiction community for his role in the 1983 NBC miniseries V and the 1984 sequel V: The Final Battle, as John, the Visitors' Supreme Commander...
- US 52 314 745: Frank GorshinFrank GorshinFrank John Gorshin, Jr. was an American actor and comedian. He was perhaps best known as an impressionist, with many guest appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show...
- US 52 346 646: Robert DuvallRobert DuvallRobert Selden Duvall is an American actor and director. He has won an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards and a BAFTA over the course of his career....
- US 53 310 761: Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
- US 54 356 205: Dean CorllDean CorllDean Arnold Corll was an American serial killer, also known as the "Candy Man", who, together with two youthful accomplices named David Brooks and Elmer Wayne Henley, abducted, raped, tortured and murdered a minimum of 28 boys in a series of killings spanning from 1970 to 1973 in Houston, Texas...
According to U.S. Army records, despite efforts to avoid duplicate service numbers, there have been at least six occurrences of an Army soldier who was issued the service number "12 345 678".
Sources
- National Personnel Records CenterNational Personnel Records CenterThe National Personnel Records Center is an agency of the National Archives and Records Administration, created in 1956. It is divided into two large Federal Records Centers located in St...
, Instruction Memo 1865.20E, "Service Number Information", 14 April 1988 - Military Personnel Records CenterMilitary Personnel Records CenterThe Military Personnel Records Center located at 9700 Page Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, is a branch of the National Personnel Records Center and is the repository of over 56 million military personnel records and medical records pertaining to retired, discharged, and deceased veterans of...
, "Training Guide Concerning Military Service Numbers", 28 June 2009