Military Pelicans, Show us your COINS!

[RNajarian]

The topic of military challenge coins came up in a post in the Politics and Religion Forum, a couple of Pelicans wanted to see some of the coins in my modest collection (I have about 100, I know guys with over 500!)

Here is a link from WikiPedia giving a brief history of the Military Challenge Coin.

Challenge coin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I've taken front and back photos of a few of the coins in my collection and provided a brief commentary.
I look forward to seeing other Pelican Coins . . .

First we will start out with Presidential Coins
To the left is the coin President George W. Bush gave out while he was President
and to the right is a coin which was sold at President Obama's inauguration.

Unfortunately I was NOT coined by either Commander-In-Chief, that indeed is an honor to the highest degree.
I had a friend who was an Air Force Security Officer assigned to Air Force One whenever it was at Andrews AFB. President Bush had coined my friend a few times and my friend and gave me this coin.

The second coin was sold during President Obama's inauguration as a souvenir.





As you will see the coins come in different round sizes. 1 1/2 inch, 1 3/4 inch, 1 7/8 inch, and 2 inch are the most common round sizes but you will see that they do come in different shapes . I particularly like the next two coins but I could be biased as an Air Force Dentist. Note on the first coin it appears to have teeth marks in it and the second coin obviously looks like a tooth.




As I post these photos I am realizing that these coins are as good as photographs in helping me remember my military career. I LOVE the coin to the left. It was given to me by a working dog handler in the UAE while I was deployed during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. While I was deployed my pet German Shepard of 14 years was put to sleep (on my birthday of all days!). The dog handler would let me spend some time with his amazing working dog whenever I passed through his duty station, one day he coined me and said "Sir, Gina (the dog) wanted me to give you this." Of course the inscription "In Dogs We Trust, With Paws we Bust" is one of the best military slogans I've ever heard. The second coin was given to me by an inspector general during a unit inspection, for some reason or another.



The next set of coins are from two different Operations, the first, Operation AEROSAFE, was the National Guard response to 9-11. Remember the National Guard troops which were stationed at the various airports? I received the Operation AEROSAFE coin from the Noncommissioned officer in charge of the mission. The second coin is from Operation JUMPSTART, the California National Guard Mission to the California-Mexico Boarder (2007). Steel Castle were the guys actually building the border fence, I received this coin from the Chief assigned to the mission. If you notice this coin is numbered, indicating that this coin was given to only a few select people.




And Finally
I had a friend who was in Baghdad when Sadaam Hussein was captured. This coin was minted to commemorate his capture. On the coin it says "We Bagged your Big Bagh Daddy." The second coin was given to me by Colonel Nancy Sumner who was the medical commander of Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. This coin means a lot to me because so many of my friends have served there . . . a few never made it back.




If after all of this you guys are interested I'll be glad to post some more . . .

[Danny_Ocean]

[Kaliv]

I'll play. Here is a selection from my stash. The first is a fairly high honor for an Air Force E-4 during developmental education. The second is a unit coin from a fantastic organization.

[Tobra]

Those are cool, thanks

[HHI944]

It's a pretty plain coin and I'm not proud of the reason it was awarded, but it's a personal reminder that life is short.

[A930Rocket]

I didn't know these existed. Thanks for showing and the background on them.

[widgeon13]

They didn't have coins when I was in the military, you did you job or got a kick in the a$$, not a coin.

No disrespect to poster but I am just not familiar with them. My father was in the Air Force for 30 years retired as colonel, I was also in the Army and discharged (as a captain) following a tour in Germany, never heard of these things until recently.

[JJ 911SC]

Our Navy just turn 100.

Did serve 24% of that time...

Canadian Navy: Canadian Naval Centennial - Welcome

[RNajarian]

Originally Posted by widgeon13

They didn't have coins when I was in the military, you did you job or got a kick in the a$$, not a coin.

No disrespect to poster but I am just not familiar with them. My father was in the Air Force for 30 years retired as colonel, I was also in the Army and discharged (as a captain) following a tour in Germany, never heard of these things until recently.

In researching this topic I found articles making references to challenge coins dating back to Roman times. More recently to the Boer War, 1899. It probably existed in some form early in the US (WW1 era.)

Most likely the modern challenge coin tradition started around the 1970s and slowly grew legs. When I was comissioned in 1995 the tradition was in full force. Now and days you cannot risk being seen in uniform without having a challenge coin on your person.

A "coin check" consists of a challenge and a response. These are the most commonly accepted rules for the military coin check. They may vary from branch to branch and even unit to unit.

RULES:

The challenge is initiated by drawing your coin, holding it in the air by whatever means possible and state, scream shout or otherwise verbally acknowledge that you are initiating a coin check. Another, but less vocal method is to firmly place it on the bar, table, Or floor (this should produce an audible noise which can be easily heard by those being challenged, but try not to leave a permanent imprint). If you accidentally drop your coin and it makes an audible sound upon impact, then you have just "accidentally" initiated a coin check (This is called paying the price for improper care of your coin.)

The response consists of all those persons being challenged drawing their coin in a like manner (other organizational coins are invalid). You must produce a coin with YOUR UNIT'S LOGO on it If you are challenged and are unable to properly respond, you must buy a round of drinks for the challenger and the group being challenged If everyone being challenged responds in the correct manner the challenger must buy a round of drinks for all those people he challenged Failure to buy a round is a despicable crime and will require that you turn-in your Coin to the issuing agency.

Coin checks are permitted, ANY TIME, ANY PLACE'. (Keep OPSEC in mind, be smart!) There are no exceptions to the rules. They apply to those clothed or unclothed. At the time of the challenge you are permitted one step and an arms reach to locate your coin. If you still cannot reach it -- SORRY ABOUT THAT

A Coin is a coin
Coins attached on belt buckles are considered "belt buckles."
Coins on key chains are considered "key chains."
Coins placed in a "holder/clasp" and worn around the neck like a necklace are valid and are considered a coin

Here is an interesting article I found which certainly dates the coin challenge to at least 1991.


Taken from Soldiers Magazine
Aug 94 Vol 49, No 8
Story by Maj. Jeanne Fraser Brooks


Within days of his liberation from a prisoner of war camp, Sgt. Troy Dunlap received two Iraqi coins from an employee of the hotel where he and the other U.S. POWs were being housed by the Red Cross following their release."One for you and one for me," he told Maj. Rhonda Cornum who also had been taken prisoner when their UH-60 helicopter was shot down by members of Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard during Operation Desert Storm. "We joked that we could use them like military coins... We planned how we would use the Iraqi money to 'coin' our friends when we got back to Fort Rucker," Cornum wrote in her book, "She Went to War.""Coining" is a relatively new U.S. military tradition, but has roots in the Roman Empire, where coins were presented to reward achievements. In the U.S. military, the tradition goes back to the early 1960s. A member of the 11th Specia Forces Group took old coins, had them over-stamped with a different emblem, then presented them to unit members, according to Roxanne Merritt, curator of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Museum at Fort Bragg, N.C A former commander of the 10th SFG picked up on the idea, becoming the first to mint a unit coin for a U.S. military unit. The 10th Group remained the only Army unit with its own coin until the mid-1980s, Merritt said, when "an explosion took place and everybody started minting coins." Originally, the coins, which bear the unit crest on the front and whatever design the unit wants on the back, were given out by commanders and sergeants major to recognize outstanding acts performed by soldiers in the course of duty"They're a real morale booster," said Duvall, "and tell the soldier, 'you're a member of our unit' which builds unit cohesion. The soldiers carry their credit card, driver's license and unit coin - their wallets are permanently deformed." Don Phillips, a former commander of the 20th SFG, designed a coin for his unit and presented it to his soldiers when he retired. "Another unit asked me to make a coin for them, and then another, so I went into business making them," said Phillips. To date, Phillips has made coins for "between 600 and 700 units." The tradition has spread to the other services and is even being adopted by paramilitary units like the U.S. Marshall's SWAT team according to Phillips. The proliferation of coins and their availability to the general public in post gift shops has caused

Dr. Joseph Fisher Special Operations Command historian, to view them as "not as special as they used to be; there are so many of them out there now." But that doesn't stop Fisher from carrying his with him at all times. them out there now." But that doesn't stop Fisher from carrying his with him at all times. Making the coins available for purchase has added yet another dimension to the tradition - collecting. SMA Richard A Kidd has approximately 300 of the coins on display in his office "museum." He has even issued an open invitation to soldiers visiting the Washington, D.C. area to stop by his office "even when I'm not here" to see his collection of unit memorabilia According to Phillips, World War II soldiers were given a coin when they mustered out of the service.

It wasn't until the Vietnam era that a "challenge-response" was added to the tradition of giving unit members a coin. The initial challenge was to prove membership in a particular unit by producing the unit coin. That was followed by the addition of the requirement to "buy a round" if a soldier didn't have the coin. "Buying a round isn't the only challenge these days," said Phillips. "Drinking is frowned on, so the challenge can be anything. If you don't have your coin, you get the detail." Kidd still uses the original premise in distributing coins and carries some with him whenever he travels. "It's a way to immediately recognize above-and-beyond - the-call-of-duty actions on the part of a soldier when you're in the field," said Kidd.

[RNajarian]

Here are a couple more . . .

I received the coin on the left from a Jayhawk helicopter pilot when I was doing temporary duty in Kodiak Alaska with the US Coast Guard. If you watch "Dangerous Catch" on Discovery it is this unit that goes out when one of the fishing vessels gets in trouble. The story behind me receiving the coin was pretty funny and every time I see the coin I am reminded of that very snowy/windy 25 degree (Fahrenheit) day we went out for a spin and almost ended up as grizzly chow. The coin on the right belongs to a high school JrROTC program I volunteer with.



This is me on that flight . . . and the soup we were flying in.

[emcon5]

Never heard of them. Looks like FOD to me.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by RNajarian

The proliferation of coins and their availability to the general public in post gift shops has caused

You can find a lot of the presidential coins on sale on E-Bay ($8.95 for the GWB one), I don't see the point unless the memory of one being gifted to you is there.

The rules of coin taking/giving and the drinking surrounding it are dubious to me, but that is not my world either.

Cool coins and stories, thank you for sharing RNajarian.

[Casket]

When I was in the Army coins were pretty rare. The SF groups, the Ranger battalions, and the The Old Guard had them and that's it.

In all cases you had to successfully get through the training (be it the Q Course, RIP or ROP respectively), be assigned to your company and be able to keep up and be a productive member of the unit for about a year. Then you got your coin.

I got mine when I was in TOG, and although I've been out of the Army for 20 years I still carry it everyday. It's one of my most prized possessions because I had to work my ass off to earn it.

I can't for the life of me understand why they give them out like candy these days. Something that's just given to a troop, that he/she doesn't have to work for ...isn't going to have any sort of real meaning. Or to think of it another way, I wonder how many of these folks will be carrying whatever coin they got 20 or 30 years from now?

[RNajarian]

Originally Posted by emcon5

Never heard of them. Looks like FOD to me.

Well yes if someone leaves one on a runway/tarmac it would be FOD (foreign object debris).

But they have become quite popular in recent years. If you've never heard of them then you're not spending enough time in the "club."

[Oh Haha]

Having never served, I am in awe of you guys that did.












BTW-RNajarian, you look like Dan Lauria in the helo pic. (The dad from Wonder Years.)

[Kaliv]

Originally Posted by Casket

It's one of my most prized possessions because I had to work my ass off to earn it.

I can't for the life of me understand why they give them out like candy these days. Something that's just given to a troop, that he/she doesn't have to work for ...isn't going to have any sort of real meaning.

I have quite a few coins...some given and some I bought. I usually buy one from every station that I've served at. Usually I get one for being a part of whatever squadron I'm assigned at as well...which is where the coin checks come in play.

However, there are some that you had to earn. These are usually coins that someone paid out of pocket to get, and normally they are higher in rank. Although these are cool...I suppose they don't really have much meaning to me other than gloating rights.

But as you stated, there are some that you earn. And for the most part, they are usually numbered as well. I remember a program that I worked really hard at to start, and for my efforts, I received the first coin marked #1. My Airman's coin holds some special place as well, as it's the first military training I've gone through. And then again when I got commissioned, earning those coins are special. Sure, the rigor of the training may not be as tough as SOF, but that doesn't demean the effort than was given to pass whatever milestone you had in your life. It's more sentimental than anything.

[Casket]

I think if I were SECDEF for a day, I'd issue the following directive with respect to military coins:

Unit coins will be issued upon completion of unit specific selection/training and only after SM successfully completes 12 months in the unit (no UCMJ).

Unit coins will have the regimental crest and unit motto on front side and the SM's name and rank engraved on the reverse side.

Unit coins will not be restricted to elite units, but will be authorized for all Combat and Support organizations, and issued as per previous directive.

So called "commander coins" will be issued at the discretion of battalion level officers or equivalent and will be worth 5 promotion points to a maximum of 25 points.

Privately purchased "souvenir coins" are not within the scope of this directive.

Or something along those lines. That way even PFC Joe Snuffy from the 532nd Lunchbox Repair Brigade can get a unit coin as long as he pulls his weight.

....And coins would mean something again.

I'd probably also get rid of the silly beret for everybody and either go back to the old system where just Airborne units wore them or maybe have everyone in Combat Arms wear them. Red for Airborne units, green for SF, keep tan for the Ranger Regiment, blue for Infantry, black for the tread-heads and so on.

[emcon5]

Originally Posted by Casket

It's one of my most prized possessions because I had to work my ass off to earn it.

I feel the same way about my NAC Wings, but I don't carry them with me.

Originally Posted by RNajarian

But they have become quite popular in recent years. If you've never heard of them then you're not spending enough time in the "club."

I guess. Must not be a Navy thing.

[Seahawk]

I don't have a lot of coins...can we do patches?

[RNajarian]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

I don't have a lot of coins...can we do patches?

I've got a few patches, lets start a patch thread. We probably will get a few LEOs and Fire Dawgs to play as well ...

Back to coins . . .a few years ago I was coined by the commander of the California Air National Guard, Major General (two star) Dennis Lucas. My highest coinage to date. . . Of course this means more to me than one I bought in a BX.