An Army Staff Sergeant wears an unusual nametape.  His first name is Soldier, and his last name is 4theLord.

The name isn’t fake; he points out the Army wouldn’t let anyone wear a fake name.  In 2004, he legally changed his name to Soldier 4theLord, which had previously been his internet go-by name: 

“I decided to make a change when things were not going well for me,” he said. “I wanted to boldly announce that I had a higher protection. It was both a reminder to me and a statement to other people…”

“It inspires me every day. It makes me a target – it’s like a banner,” he said. “Because of my name, people watch my behavior. So if I behave badly then I fail to live up to my name.”

Changing one’s name is not an inherently controlled action in the US military; so long as the change is legal/official, the military would likely be required to recognize it. 

One wonders if this might inspire others to put their internet handles–or the banner of their beliefs–on their chest.  Of course, some may be disappointed to discover a few are already taken.  A military Chaplain has the Arabic for “Sword of Islam” on his name tag; in addition, Captain Pagan is in the Army, and the Navy has a Seaman Pagan.

Also noted at the Army Chaplaincy blog.