How often do you see challenge coins awarded in the civilian workplace?

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 06 Nov 2016 09:26:06 -0500

My college SVA chapter has a challenge coin. Have you seen them awarded by civilians or in a civilian workplace?

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 6 at 2016 9:26 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 06 Nov 2016 09:26:19 -0500

http://svosu.org/product/svo-challenge-coin

SVO Challenge Coin – SVO

Response by SGM Steve Wettstein made Nov 6 at 2016 9:27 AM

SGM Steve Wettstein — Sun, 06 Nov 2016 09:27:28 -0500

In my limited experience I have not.

Response by MSgt Steven Holt, NRP, CCEMT-P made Nov 6 at 2016 10:55 AM

MSgt Steven Holt, NRP, CCEMT-P — Sun, 06 Nov 2016 10:55:45 -0500

In the nearly seven years I've been retired, I've never seen a civilian challenge coin. Many of the civvies I've worked with don't understand the significance of an awarded coin unless they were prior service as well.

Response by SPC Erich Guenther made Nov 6 at 2016 11:08 AM

SPC Erich Guenther — Sun, 06 Nov 2016 11:08:21 -0500

Well my employer gave out a 1 oz Silver Coin last year but I don't think that counts but if I was a Civilian Employer, that's how I would do it, make sure the Coin had some value so it could be turned in for cash if the person wanted to spend the money instead of having the coin. The Army Challenge Coins at least some of them have value in that you could turn them in for a 3 or 4 day pass.

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 6 at 2016 11:51 AM

Capt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 06 Nov 2016 11:51:51 -0500

I retired from civilian employment in 2004. I had my last drill in 1986. I never heard of challenge coins until I joined RP.

I did hand write thank you notes and to each of my staff one year at Christmas. Two years later some of these were still posted in the employees work space.

Response by SSG Trevor S. made Nov 6 at 2016 12:12 PM

SSG Trevor S. — Sun, 06 Nov 2016 12:12:24 -0500

I got one for flying some KBR guys around. I was in the Army at the time though so I don't know if it counts.

Response by SFC George Smith made Nov 6 at 2016 1:07 PM

SFC George Smith — Sun, 06 Nov 2016 13:07:40 -0500

only have seen a Few

Response by CPO Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 6 at 2016 1:33 PM

CPO Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 06 Nov 2016 13:33:50 -0500

I have not seen civilians give one out, but I have given many to civilian in country's I was working in. In our community more after 911 we have been doing Civil Humanitarian/ Civil Affairs Type missions all over the world and this is working and in some cases living in Villages and towns. I was on the Advance Civil Affairs ground team on a HA/CA deployment in South Central America, and I would hand them out to Civil Town leaders, and some embassy staff that went above and beyond to help us. The other thing was in some first meetings, we gave them out and that broke the ICE, so we could get things done.This was in places like Colombia, Nicaragua, Panama, DOMREP, Trinidad -Tab-ago and other places like that. They loved the honor of us giving these to them.

Response by SN Greg Wright made Nov 6 at 2016 1:37 PM

SN Greg Wright — Sun, 06 Nov 2016 13:37:36 -0500

I've never seen one, and I work in a military-adjacent industry.

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 6 at 2016 2:29 PM

SCPO Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 06 Nov 2016 14:29:46 -0500

My Boy Scout Troop just had an Eagle Scout Court of Honor. When the National Eagle Scout Association representative presented the Scout with his NESA membership certificate, it came with a NESA coin, to which the rep referred to it as a challenge coin.

Response by Cpl Jeff N. made Nov 6 at 2016 8:23 PM

Cpl Jeff N. — Sun, 06 Nov 2016 20:23:13 -0500

I have never seen a civilian challenge coin. I never saw one in the Marine Corps either when I served. These must have come on the scene after I left the service.