Posted on Mar 27, 2016
Challenge coins. Do you use them, collect them, or both?
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I know they mean something to the older and saltier vets on here so this is geared more towards the younger folks like me. Personally I collect the ones I receive; on great occasion I buy one. I've sold most of the ones I've bought on impulse (yeah I was that boot) except for a few that I haven't been able to. I have yet, however, to run into a situation where I needed to use one (bar scenario).
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 94
I just have a few that were given to me through out the years of being in. They are a cool way to bring up stories of how I revived them but never been in a bar with other vets that used them
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I'm pissed. The ones that I had been given by General Petraeus where stolen. Because of my injuries I have LOST memory about the names but clearly remember their appearance. I was with the 526 FSB which later became BSB in Ft Campbell, 2003 TO 2005 and while in Iraq we where given the coins. 1 was in the shape of a dog tag that had a Blackhawk on it, 1 was round that had the Iraq country on it, and the others I have LOST the memory of. It's upsetting knowing they question and not by a fellow soldier but my x-wifes now husband! Yeah very pissed off about it, so much to the point I informed them that if I ever see them I am gonna stomp a mud hole in their ass, so they moved to another state.
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I mostly collect them. Some I have been given others I have purchased from bases or deployments that I have been on. I carry one every day I work at my civilian job as a Paramedic. It commemorates one of the worst days or calls I have had in my medical career. It is an EOW for Officer Scott Patrick who was murdered on traffic stop. I was in charge of the crew that responded to and tried to save him. It reminds me how bad a day can be. I have since become a Swat medic since. I also carry a coin whenever some of my firefighters deploy without me.
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I carry two in my pocket everywhere I go. One was given to me by a former state CSM who was my mentor when I made E6. He had my promotion date engraved on it. The other was given to me by the then current state CSM for what I did for the unit as the unit's NCOIC as an E5. Both have a lot of significance for me which is why I keep them with me and would never dream of throwing them out. I have a couple I've purchased that have the post names that I've served at. I also have one unit coin that I served in which was a limited production run so there are not a lot of them out there. I don't purchase other coins no matter how cool they look because they don't have any sentimental value or memory attached to them. My son got an NCIS coin from an agent one time and still has that one. It is a pretty neat coin. The agent gave it to him after my son spent some time asking him about his career and what being an agent was like. I'll never have the large collections that many have but the few I have are important to me. When I am an old man and take my last breath, the hospital or my family will find those two coins in my pocket.
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Both. It is tradition to have one during formal unit events. I do agree that it should be mentioned to the unit for rules that all agree upon. Collecting them is useful because it tells a more personal story of where someone has been versus the awards that are almost handed out for deploying anywhere.
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I have been given some collector coins which I keep and would give up but I won't say I'm a collector. They are things that represent often units I've been in or people I've met so some of My own History is often tied in with it I sure can't carry them all around and don't but keep them in a safe place, not usually where they can bee seen but where I can access them at any time.
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I was in during a period of time when you did not see Challenge coins, in the 70's and 80's. Their us blossomed about the same time when you got two automatic ribbons/awards just for making it through Basic, and could get up to 4. That has cheapened the meaning of awards to us old timers.
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I never saw or even heard of a Challenge coin while I was in the Navy. However that was more than 20 years ago.
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Never used them for challenge, only have a few, I got out in 2000. But the 2 I like the most was one I received from Sargent Major of the Army Kidd. And one I received in 2014 at a veterans reception at the Texas Republican Convention from The soon to be Governor Greg Abbott. Just 2 cool coins that have a special meaning to me as the one from Abbott was a couple months before I received my disability rating. Cooler that the coin was seeing him honor all the old school vets to include one that served in WW2, Korea AND Vietnam. Now that's a special man.
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I've never used them. I do collect them. I have a few that were gifted, but most of them I bought as a memento. I have a coin from every base I've been to. I have a coin from every unit I've worked with. I have my boot camp coin. Then I have a coin for every rank I achieved. To me it's like having a piece of history from my contributions to the Marine Corps.
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We used it a lot in korea at the squadron hooch other than that I've never used it
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This is sounding more and more like a pokeman thing.....gotta catchem all lmao
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I like to collect them and pass them to those I've met in the course of my career. I'll buy several of my unit coins and give them to others as a sign of appreciation. For instance, my Career Course instructor collected coins from his students over his years, so I helped to increase his collection. It is a personal touch and adds to the camaraderie between Marines across the Fleet and Reserve.
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Mine are all in a baggie in my desk drawer.... maybe someday I will get around to doing something with them. Maybe.
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