[Servant of the 9]

Have no idea how things are now. So many have went into the services since then there is probably a whole other system in use now...

In the 50s and 60s volunteers had a serial number starting with "RA" for Regular Army. I can't remember what drraftees, guard and reservists used.

In the 70s they switched to using your Social Security Number for your serial number. For a couple of years while te transition was made most had two serial numbers.

So9

[ValerieUSA]

Frost Bank Tower today

[westmex]

They prefixed AF to my old Army number when the Air Force went separate....

.....Westy....

[catpuppy]

Swerve, we had FR followed by a seven digit number for regulars and FV with a seven digit number for reservists. As you point out, the Social Security Number (which was not to be used for identification) was then adopted for use as identification, an event that to this day causes problems for retirees.

The DD Form 214 which we were all advised to register at the local courthouse upon retirement is, as a public record, now being retrieved by identity thieves who use its information which conveniently includes the retiree's SSN.