The Department of Defense of the United States follows a particular identification system to authenticate all the various equipment, assets, and shipments, owned or distributed by the U.S. military. UID marking is thus, a system that is followed by the military of the United States, for better asset accountability and valuation. This process authenticates and helps in the recognition of all the property that is possessed and owned by the United States, Department of Defense (DoD). The DoD is a body that has immense responsibility on its shoulders. The protection and the safety of the entire United States rests upon the DoDs shoulders. Therefore, it becomes very important for the government to make certain that all the actions taken by the military and all its assets are registered, authenticated, and marked with a unique identification code.

UID marking can be done in a number of ways. The common ways of doing UID marking include bonding, etching, laser marking, high resolution inkjet printing, dot peen pin stamping, chemical stenciling, etching, and many more. UID marking is no longer practiced within the domain of the military alone. Non-government bodies too, are using this method to track any item for operational, safety, and branding purposes. A UID marking solution is used by nearly every successful manufacturer in the states today. This traceability enables an OEM to track a specific batch of a given product through its entire distribution lifetime.

This tracking capability is very important for areas of food safety as well as medical safety. Without UID marking, a business would not be able to retract a potentially dangerous batch of medicine from store shelves within hours. They would not have the ability to pinpoint a concern at such a detailed level and this intricate level of traceability makes production more efficient and ultimately, saves lives. In addition, identification marking helps in preventing the loss of property or theft throughout manufacturing and distribution.

While shipping a large number of items, there is always a probability of one or two containers getting misplaced, lost, or even stolen. To prevent the loss of any property, a UID scanner is used. The use of the scanner helps in recognizing any item that might be out of place or missing. The concept of marking and identification are indeed breakthrough technologies that greatly assist the work of the Department of Defense and other manufacturers around the world.