DoD Digital Imagery Meta Data Field Definitions

This table provides the field name in use for DoD embedded captions, the maximum length of the field, and what the field should contain. This table also contains the cross reference to the International Press Telecommunications Council (IPTC) and the Newspaper Association of America (NAA) Information Interchange Model (IIM) upon which the DoD standard is built. Some fields have very detailed guidance, such as the caption field, so users must consult with the DoD Caption Style Guide for more guidance.

Please note that some applications, such as the Adobe CS applications, allow more data in some fields (longer field length) than is shown in this table. But that data is LOST when imported into our system because we strictly enforce the IPTC standard to ensure interoperability among applications. A good example of this is the PH Name & Rank field. When a Navy photographer enters "Mass Communication Specialist John Doe" our system will only have "Mass Communications Specialist Jo" since this field only holds 32 characters. In this case the information is not useful to anyone, and creates more work to publish the imagery.

This table is current as of 30 November, 2011 and reflects the changes to DoDI 5040.02, 27 October, 2011.
Field Name Max Field Length IPTC Field Field Contents
VIRIN 64 ObjectName

Enter the Visual Information Record Identification Number
Example: 060515-M-ZZ999-001

The components of the VIRIN are:

Field 1 - 060515: Date the image was shot in YYMMDD format

Field 2 - M: The service affiliation or status of the acquirer or originator. The codes for the photographer's service are:

A :  Army
C :  Coalition
D :  Department of Defense
F :   Air Force
G :  Coast Guard
H :  Department of Homeland Security
J  :  Joint/multi-Service
L :  Multinational (troops or civilians from more than one nation)
M:  Marine Corps
N :  Navy
0  :  Other - including anyone not falling into one of the listed categories
S  :  Department of State
Z  :  National Guard

Field 3 - ZZ999: VISION ID
Note: ZZ999 is reserved for use where the shooter cannot obtain a VISION ID, or the shooter is unknown. VISION ID is verified upon submission.

Field 4 - 001: Sequence number for that day, sequence numbers restart at 001 each day.

Field 5 - (not shown) ISO country code of foreign shooter

More information is found in DoDI 5040.02 and the DoD Caption Style Guide.
Service Shown 1 Urgency

Enter the code for the Service branch of the subjects in the image.
A :  Army
C :  Coalition
D :  Department of Defense
F :   Air Force
G :  Coast Guard
J  :  Joint/multi-Service
L :  Multinational (troops or civilians from more than one nation)
M:  Marine Corps
N:  Navy
0 :  Other - including anyone not falling into one of the listed categories
Classification 32 Supplemental Category 1 Most images have a classification of Unclassified. If the image is unclassified but For Official Use Only, insert FOUO. If classified. enter the classification.
Classification Authority 32 Supplemental Category 2 Enter the reference authorizing the classification if other than Unclassified or FOUO. If none leave blank.
Downgrading Schedule 32 Supplemental Category 3

Downgrading schedule if classification is other the Unclassified or FOUO. If none leave blank.
Keyword 64 Keyword Insert appropriate keywords as instructed in Chapter 3 of the Caption Style Guide. Each keyword shall not exceed 64 characters, separated by commas.
Public Release Instructions 256 Special Instructions Enter the public release authority information.
- If an approved public release authority has released the image, insert "Released" and the name, rank, unit, phone and email contact information of the release authority.
-If the image is explicitly not cleared for public release, insert "Not Released" and the name, rank, unit, phone and email contact information of the release authority. The reason for not releasing must also be included here.
- If a release authority has not reviewed the image, insert "Not Reviewed."
Date Shot 8 CreateDate The date the image was taken. This date must match the date in the VIRIN.
PH Rank & Name 32 By-line The photographer's rank and full name. Enter in the following format: Last, First, MI, Rank/Grade. Use the correct abbreviation for your rank, do not enter the full description. I.e. SSgt NOT Staff Sergeant
PH Home Unit 32 By-lineTitle The photographer's home unit
Base/Locale 32 City The base, locale or city of the shoot.
State/Prov. 32 Province-State The state or province of the shoot.
Country/Area 64 Country-PrimaryLocationName

The country or area of the shoot. For aerials use either the country or the ocean area being flown over.
Operation/Exercise Name 256 Headline The name of the operation or exercise. If not part of an official operation or exercise leave blank.
PH TDY Unit 32 Credit The unit to which the photographer was temporarily assigned during the shoot (must be on official orders). If not assigned then leave blank.
Image Source 32 Source Enter Digital or Film: This field captures the medium used to capture the image, either digital or film is entered here (do not enter the film type or format).
Caption 2000 Caption-Abstract The caption block should contain a caption and tagline written in accordance with the caption style guide.
Caption Editor 32 Writer-Editor The name of the individual editing the caption, if other than the photographer.
Command Shown 32 OriginalTransmissionReference Enter the command of the unit photographed. For example: AMC, 5th Fleet or CENTCOM.
The table below replaces the previous meta data cross reference table. With the delivery of the Adobe Photoshop DoD File-Info Panels, and the military version of MediaGrid and Photo Mechanic, we will no longer maintain a cross reference table for multiple applications.