Challenge coins...

[California Joe]

How many of you collect them? I have about 10 or so. Mostly because I've designed them and gotten a sample for doing so. Although the coolest one I have was from the Command Master Chief at the EOD school before they moved from Indian Head MD to Florida because of work I'd done for them. That was cool. Is it an American thing or do other countries mint they're own regimental coins etc?

[Dave the Dawg]

I don't actually collect them, but I do have a few that I was given over the years, from units I was in or units I served with, including 3rd, 10th and 11th Special Forces Groups, the Infantry Training Brigade and US Army Officer Candidate School. One I have is the "Commander's Coin of Excellence" from the 36th Engineer Group, which I got in lieu of a real award for supporting the unit when it was sent to bridge the Sava to allow IFOR forces to deploy from Hungary through Croatia into Bosnia in December 1995.

I do have one coin that is historically significant though. I have a Vietnam-era 101st Airborne coin that belonged to Brigadier General Frederic Davison. BG Davison was the first African-American to command a brigade in combat and the first African-American to command an infantry division.

Not sure what other countries do. I know many countries have table medals given out for various reasons which challenge coins are more or less patterned after, but I don't know if other countries have coins in the same way we do, or if they have anything similar to the tradition of the "coin check".

[papasmerf]

I don't actually collect them, but I do have a few that I was given over the years, from units I was in or units I served with, including 3rd, 10th and 11th Special Forces Groups, the Infantry Training Brigade and US Army Officer Candidate School. One I have is the "Commander's Coin of Excellence" from the 36th Engineer Group, which I got in lieu of a real award for supporting the unit when it was sent to bridge the Sava to allow IFOR forces to deploy from Hungary through Croatia into Bosnia in December 1995.

I do have one coin that is historically significant though. I have a Vietnam-era 101st Airborne coin that belonged to Brigadier General Frederic Davison. BG Davison was the first African-American to command a brigade in combat and the first African-American to command an infantry division.

Not sure what other countries do. I know many countries have table medals given out for various reasons which challenge coins are more or less patterned after, but I don't know if other countries have coins in the same way we do, or if they have anything similar to the tradition of the "coin check".

SF? Cool, *salute*

[California Joe]

I don't collect them either, although I know people who do. They just seem to accumulate.... ;)

[Deuterium]

I don't actually collect them, but I do have a few that I was given over the years, from units I was in or units I served with, including 3rd, 10th and 11th Special Forces Groups, the Infantry Training Brigade and US Army Officer Candidate School. One I have is the "Commander's Coin of Excellence" from the 36th Engineer Group, which I got in lieu of a real award for supporting the unit when it was sent to bridge the Sava to allow IFOR forces to deploy from Hungary through Croatia into Bosnia in December 1995.

I do have one coin that is historically significant though. I have a Vietnam-era 101st Airborne coin that belonged to Brigadier General Frederic Davison. BG Davison was the first African-American to command a brigade in combat and the first African-American to command an infantry division.

Not sure what other countries do. I know many countries have table medals given out for various reasons which challenge coins are more or less patterned after, but I don't know if other countries have coins in the same way we do, or if they have anything similar to the tradition of the "coin check".

I was in San Vito, Italy at the C-JSOTF HQ when the Sava was bridged. We had a J-STAR downlink van or whatever its called. I was able to watch the boats moving the bridge sections. Pretty cool technology.

[Tane Angle]

I can't say that I go out of my way to get them, they just kind of are there. So I don't really collect them, but I don't throw them in the trash either. Dave, when were you with 10th SFG? Drop me a line sometime.

[Trigger]

How come California Joe gets all the cool jobs?

[California Joe]

Just lucky I guess....

[Tane Angle]

I hear he gets all the girls too. It's his subtle chivalry. ;) Plus chicks dig guys with coins, right?

[California Joe]

'tis true. ;)

[farmgirl]

I hear he gets all the girls too. It's his subtle chivalry. ;) Plus chicks dig guys with coins, right?

well yeah... coins... and paper... ;)
Plus... Joe SAYS he can cook. Of course... this is the internet. One can SAY anything they want! :D

[Ichhabe]

There is an American general out there owing me such a coin. Well Flowers?!?!? Where is it? You said I was going to get one, but I never did get it! Grrrr. Had to buy one for myself at the PX. Sure wasn't the same I tell ya. ( And boy, was it a bad taste coin, cheeeeez.)

We don't have such thing in Norway, but we were in the process of making such thing while we were down in Afghanistan. Cause our commander was showered with such things, and we wanted one ourself to be able to give back. I think, due to the fact that most our missions the recent years has been with the US that we also will start up with that practise.

[Dave the Dawg]

SF? Cool, *salute*Not SF, per se, a distinction lost on most people. Properly, "Special Forces" should refer only to 18-series personnel, graduates of the Q Course. I was special operations support. I was a communications specialist and NCO in the signals detachment (SIGDET) for the 1st Battalion, 11th Special Forces Group (Airborne). Our main mission was to set up a base station in the battalion forward operating base to provide commo support to the ODAs. Subsequently, I was commissioned in the Infantry and hoped to return to the SF community as an SF officer, but a set of pins holding my ankle together put an end to that career plan. Now I just sit on my ass drafting contracts and underwriting agreements and the like (I get paid a lot more money but the work is much easier :roll: ).

Dave

[WARPIG]

Hey Joe.. I have designed a few myself! Never got a sample though. I have about a dozen coins although I don't collect them. Some from Homeland Defense missions.. one or two from different Exercises... most from stuff like making the COL laugh because I made all the LTs run laps when I coached the BDE sofball team.. or captured a machine gun crew at night during training with a stick and some acting.
I got a CSM coin for crushing the cargo area of his HWMMV during a day jump. He laughed at me cause I hit one side of the HWMMV while trying to land and the chute dragged me over the other side before I could release the riser. He said I sounded like a dog getting kicked when I hit the side and palmed a coin in my hand while trying to wipe tears from his eyes. Come to think of it.. I got like 3 coins from really bad landings.

[Apogee]

When I was over at the Greek Armor school, we presented the school's commander with a coin from the academy he was very impressed, but had never heard or seen such a thing. I guess its only in certain places and units. Just my .02$

[NcDeuce]

Wightman NCO Academy

[Argyll]

These sound pretty interesting guys ,is there any chance of showing some pics?

I think this must be a US thing as I never heard of this before,but sounds very interesting !!

[NcDeuce]

http://www.nic-inc.com/pics/secret/q15f.jpg

Pretty little things

http://currahee.hispeed.com/images/a2001reunion04.gif

http://imagehost.vendio.com/preview/ra/raidrgrl26/160thTF.JPG

http://www.benning.army.mil/rtb/HISTORY/coinrgt.gif

[Argyll]

Yes these are !!