Posted on Apr 7, 2014
How long into your service did you earn your first coin?
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I got my first earned coin a little past my 3 1/2 years mark. I got it for having the most squared away uniform in a ASU inspection.
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Military service
Challenge Coin
Military service Challenge Coin
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 48
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My first coin came 30 years after I got out. I received one for being a guest instructor at NDU - Ft. McNair for Robotic and Autonomous Systems.
Never heard of challenge coins in my day.
Never heard of challenge coins in my day.
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LtCol Richard Edmonds
My thoughts exactly SSG Spencer, what the hell is a coin and why do I need one. Not around in my day either.
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LtCol Norman Stahl
As a Marine, I never saw or heard of a challenge coin till about 10 years after I retired when a California National Guard general presented me with one. Now I have my own personal USMC Retired coins that I give out rather sparingly.
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TSgt Joshua Copeland
Here is some info on it. The coin is rather old tradition (WWI) but did not really gain traction outside of flying units for a number of decades. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Challenge_coin
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It's been 13 years, and I'm at 17 coins (and my wife, at 10 years, has an additional 5). I know some people who are near retirement and only have 1-2, and others who have dozens of them with only a few years. Right place, right time, I suspect...
My first coin, however, was ROTC Basic Camp (now called LTC), Ft. Knox, Summer 2001. I wasn't even technically in the Army yet (I signed my papers Monday, Sep. 10, 2001).
At the beginning of the camp, leadership positions were by rotation. The last week, though, were cadre selections based off whatever demonstrated skills cadets showed prior. Those were the cadets who led the unit when marching in the graduation parade. I was selected as one of them. The whole group practiced the day before, but the leadership roles did extra practice before and after. At the end of practice, we were all given coins.
It turns out there was more than that going on, though. We were the last cycle of the summer, and the camp commander (my mind is settling on COL Stephanie Hunter but I'm not sure anymore) was not only rotating out, but retiring. So, our graduation was also a retirement and change of command ceremony -- that made it dreadfully long.
But we also learned that the coins were usually only given after graduation, not after the last practice. That was changed because of the command change and retirement, as she wouldn't be the CDR after that.
This led to one hilarious point where one of the other cadets who received a coin saw her in town that night and coin-checked her! Not even two hours had passed, and she was coin-checked with her own coin! She didn't have one on her, so in the grand tradition of buying the winner a drink, she got him a 2-liter of Coke on the spot (since he was not yet 21).
My first coin, however, was ROTC Basic Camp (now called LTC), Ft. Knox, Summer 2001. I wasn't even technically in the Army yet (I signed my papers Monday, Sep. 10, 2001).
At the beginning of the camp, leadership positions were by rotation. The last week, though, were cadre selections based off whatever demonstrated skills cadets showed prior. Those were the cadets who led the unit when marching in the graduation parade. I was selected as one of them. The whole group practiced the day before, but the leadership roles did extra practice before and after. At the end of practice, we were all given coins.
It turns out there was more than that going on, though. We were the last cycle of the summer, and the camp commander (my mind is settling on COL Stephanie Hunter but I'm not sure anymore) was not only rotating out, but retiring. So, our graduation was also a retirement and change of command ceremony -- that made it dreadfully long.
But we also learned that the coins were usually only given after graduation, not after the last practice. That was changed because of the command change and retirement, as she wouldn't be the CDR after that.
This led to one hilarious point where one of the other cadets who received a coin saw her in town that night and coin-checked her! Not even two hours had passed, and she was coin-checked with her own coin! She didn't have one on her, so in the grand tradition of buying the winner a drink, she got him a 2-liter of Coke on the spot (since he was not yet 21).
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Coins are about being in the right place at the right time. I got one coin in my first 13 years of service. I got it in 2001 for something or other. Then I went to Korea and the floodgates opened. Since 2001, I have gotten 30 or 40 coins from various units. I once got a coin for sitting in my car. Seriously, I was just sitting in my car during UFL in 2007 in Korea, and some officer from an engineer unit walked by, knocked on my car window, and handed me a coin. It was really wierd. Hell, my wife got a 4-star coin before I did! In Korea, from GEN BB Bell, the USFK/UNC Commander.
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SFC Stephen Carden
What I mean by that is: you do your best at all times, but getting a coin from someone depends on a few factors.
1. Does that person even have coins? Commanders get special funds for this I think, but sometimes they don't bother getting them. Other times, they may be out of them and waiting on a shipment to come in.
2. What is the personal requirements each person has for determining what deserves a coin?
3. Did the person with the coins directly observe you doing something coin-worthy?
4. Did the person with the coins remember to slip a few in his or her pocket that morning?
5. Does your supervisor have the intestinal fortitude to recommend you for a coin to the commander or VIP?
6. Are you either putting yourself or getting put into situations where a coin would be deserved/justified? i.e: are you volunteering for duties above and beyond what is expected? Are you dependable enough for someone to select you for those duties?
Coins are a way to boost morale and informally recognize good work, but they are by no means universally awarded or accepted by commanders/CSMs. All of these factors contribute to the "right place, right time" theory. Did that explain it better TSgt Joshua Copeland ? I did not mean to suggest CSM (Join to see) , that the concept was cheapened, only that many factors contribute to the awarding of a coin.
1. Does that person even have coins? Commanders get special funds for this I think, but sometimes they don't bother getting them. Other times, they may be out of them and waiting on a shipment to come in.
2. What is the personal requirements each person has for determining what deserves a coin?
3. Did the person with the coins directly observe you doing something coin-worthy?
4. Did the person with the coins remember to slip a few in his or her pocket that morning?
5. Does your supervisor have the intestinal fortitude to recommend you for a coin to the commander or VIP?
6. Are you either putting yourself or getting put into situations where a coin would be deserved/justified? i.e: are you volunteering for duties above and beyond what is expected? Are you dependable enough for someone to select you for those duties?
Coins are a way to boost morale and informally recognize good work, but they are by no means universally awarded or accepted by commanders/CSMs. All of these factors contribute to the "right place, right time" theory. Did that explain it better TSgt Joshua Copeland ? I did not mean to suggest CSM (Join to see) , that the concept was cheapened, only that many factors contribute to the awarding of a coin.
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CSM (Join to see)
1. The Commander and I bought our own.USAR funding froze.
2. Based on the task. Has to be going above and beyond the standard or expectation. Sometimes, based on a recommendation from a peer.
3. Does not have to necessarily be observed by the presenter.
4. Yes. You do need to remember that.
5. In some cases, yes they have
6. I hope so!
SFC Stephen Carden Tracking on your intent of the "right place at right time".
2. Based on the task. Has to be going above and beyond the standard or expectation. Sometimes, based on a recommendation from a peer.
3. Does not have to necessarily be observed by the presenter.
4. Yes. You do need to remember that.
5. In some cases, yes they have
6. I hope so!
SFC Stephen Carden Tracking on your intent of the "right place at right time".
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SGT (Join to see)
I've never held coins in high regard. I think of them more as decorations than anything else. First coin I received was from Basic Training. I didn't see anyone get one until about a year later in Florida. My company was mostly male, and had been tasked out for a busy work detail for the better part of a month. Then the one day the BDE CSM (female) shows up is the one day we had a profile riding female come out on this detail. So of course at closeout formation the CSM goes into this long speech about how seeing women out doing the same thing men do just warms her heart, and gives this worthless soldier a COA and a coin. And that is why I don't value coins as anything but something shiny to look at, maybe a conversation starter. Since then I've recieved two coins for deployment, one for showing up at a ball, and one for busting my ass that I thought a COA or impact AAM would have been more suitable. But I guess I'm rambling....
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