Posted on Mar 27, 2016
SGT Aaron Atwood
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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 in these groups: Liberty manor challenge coin Challenge Coin045d55de Collecting
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1LT Christopher Gonzales
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Only coins that ever mattered to me were ones with an EOD crab on them and that was mostly so I didn't get coin dropped
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SPC Explosive Ordnance Disposal Specialist
SPC (Join to see)
8 y
I have a small collection. As in your case, 1LT Gonzales, if it doesn't have a crab, I probably don't care that much about it. However, I kept the ones I figured I might want to think back on when I got out. They mostly tell stories of things I did in my six years which are unusual for junior enlisted soldiers--even in EOD land. My favorite, which I still carry even though I've been out for a bit now, was for an EOD military-civilian joint training event called "Raven's Challenge" which I supported. The headline scenario was running into some technical issues. I happened to be the EOD technician there with the knowledge and skills to make the training device work as intended, and the ATF gentleman who was running the lane gave me a really nice knife and challenge coin in gratitude for my support. About the only coin I have without a crab that means much to me is one given to my team when we supported a crash-landed aircraft recovery operation a few years ago. I kept a few others without crabs, but that one is special because it reminds me of team Cowboy--good times with good guys.
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1LT Christopher Gonzales
1LT Christopher Gonzales
8 y
What year and what area did you help out for RC?
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SCPO Leading Chief Petty Officer (Lcpo)
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I'm giving you a thumbs up for the BIRF SOC photo.
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SFC Charles Kauffman
SFC Charles Kauffman
8 y
What's a "BIRF"?
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SCPO Leading Chief Petty Officer (Lcpo)
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8 y
It's a nickname for the Chemical Biological Incident Response Force or "CBIRF". The patch in the picture is CBIRF...."BIRF SOC". Inside joke I guess.
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Maj Walt Stachowicz
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Nope, never had them when I was in. A "Thanks for a good job" or a letter of appreciation was all we needed. Hell, we didn't have enough funds to pay for shit paper! No diesel for the trucks! And we gave a shit about some "coin" that is the military's answer to Hallmark? What a waste of money.
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SSG Mark Madsen
SSG Mark Madsen
8 y
Early one morning on a rotation to the National Training Center, Ft Irwin, CA, I was in the turn-in/maintenance area and kept hearing a ringing sound. Came out from between two vehicles and found 3 young LTs rolling a new Battalion Commander's Coin, and trying to kick it. They looked a little sheepish that I had caught them. Nothing was said other than an exchange of salutes and the greeting of the day.
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SGT Stuart Griffin
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I have a collection of them. They range from the III Armored Corps Commanding General to the SGM of the Army (Long story for both, so not here). All of them were directly awarded to me with the "secret handshake," from the person whose coin it was. All of these I consider award coins.
Despite how high ranking some of them were, the one I am most proud of, and still carry, is my 2nd ID coin. It was awarded for being in the combat division. It served the purpose the original coins were for. I see it as an actual challenge coin. In my eyes, the others are not.
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SrA Munitions Systems
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Edited 8 y ago
I ran into one Ammo troop at Bush Intercontinental airport who coined checked me, the one time i didn't have my ammo coin, and it seemed like vets and active duty came out of the woodwork at that airport bar. I had a $300 tab by the time I had to catch my next flight lol
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SSG Mark Madsen
SSG Mark Madsen
8 y
HA Ha ha! OOPS! I mean, dude, that is so sad!
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SGT Aaron Atwood
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I first enlisted in 2006. Here's the Corps as I first knew it:
There was no CFT. The PFT was done twice a year.
You were waived from height and weight standards if you got a first class on the PFT.
Rifle qualification consisted only of Table 1 for score. The other tables were to expend ammo.
You ironed in the creases to your khaki shirts both long sleeve and short sleeve.
The Post 9/11 GI Bill didn't exist just yet.
There was good expectation that you would deploy to either Iraq or Afghanistan at least once.
ISCs had more involvement with computer-related issues and emails than today.
Blackberries were the only smart phones, and you held high freaking status if you were issued one.
Annual training was done via DEATH BY POWERPOINT.
Most of the older command who were in during Operations Desert Shield and Storm had yet to retire.
My first issued weapon was an M16A2. No ACOGs; just iron sights.
Don't Ask Don't Tell was still a thing, but the Corps was a lot gayer then (just my personal opinion).
Loan sharks, for used car dealerships especially, were a much bigger problem than they are now.
Boot camp reference: 3rd Recruit Battalion was based literally in the woods away from the main parts of Parris Island. We even had our own parade deck.
You done f**ked up if your team/squad leader addressed you by rank, first, and last name and took you to an isolated spot for a private chat.
My MOS school had the students from Army, Navy, and Marines train and learn together except for PT and field drill.
You were issued Birth Control Glasses.
It was financially outstanding to reenlist as a musician (5-digit bonuses).
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SGT Ross Jones
SGT Ross Jones
8 y
In the Corps from 87-91 and it was much the same as you described.
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SPC Member
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I have a few, a couple given, some gifted from Battles, and a few bought. The one's I bought are from the Forts/Bases I've been to. With the exception of the blood donation coin, I donated $10 for that after donating blood.
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AN Amanda Wiggins
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I was a bartender after I got out. Had a couple soldiers come in and I gave them their first bar challenge. I ended up giving them both a couple free because I was impressed they 1) knew what it was and 2) actually had coins on them.
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SFC Bob Laverick
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Don't fit in the soda machines, so not very useful to me. I jut cherish my coin from the POTUS (W), Wolfowitz when he was deputy SoD, and those from a few Generals.
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SSgt Robert Martin
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I still have all of the ones I was presented. The best was from the Secretary of Defense while in Riyadh.
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Sgt Dan Gillies
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I do both, and my rugby team has taken the tradition and if you are caught without yours , youl be buying a round! Love challenge coins but im older so maybe thats it. Semper Fi!
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SGT Aaron Atwood
SGT Aaron Atwood
8 y
The drinking game done by using the coin does seem kind of fun so in try not to be caught empty-handed, but I've yet to be challenged.
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SPC Ethan Steenbergen Beck
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I collect the ones I've been awarded with, and have used my highest only one time against a boot who was determined to get a free drink
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PFC LeeRoy Carpenter
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Never received one and didn't know about them till after I ETSed
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PO2 John Winters
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I was in service from '81 to '92, never heard of them that whole time.
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MSgt Frank Martin
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I have my original Combat Camera (both AVIS and ACCS versions) coins.. they were drinking coins. You had to buy one, and you had to honor all others in the placing them on the table and see who buys drinks or if you might get a free one by doing it.

But they became Atta boy coins.. I as a Graphics Specialist have done artwork for commanders to get coins made, I have won a few from commanders. I have one from the 8th Air Force Commander that I "won" because I found a few things in a video tape made by their intel section missed while my unit edited it for presentation. It is my most prized one..

I have a couple from foreign officers too..But they all sit in container.. now that I am retired.. they are just keepsakes for me.
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SFC Jeff Holcombe
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I have a small collection. Some of mine were lost in a divorce situation while I was overseas. I received my last 1 in 2010 from General Petraeus while deployed.
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SGT Tony Shope
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Well I do not know what use them means to be honest. I am a soldier of the 80's and 90's. The 6 I received in 12 years were from personal security details or major accidents. 1 from General Burba when his child/relative was in a bad accident so he was likely biased but I pulled her out and gave CPR so he and his wife hugged me full of blood in the ER. 2 from Regimental SGM of the MP Corp in combat (David Stalter) Who I worked for in his earlier years. 1 from a Presidential escort in Central America and I have forgotten the other. In my day a coin was better than an Arcom and I asked each to write me a letter of recommendation. They did so when I was medically put out at 12 it lead to a great career in law enforcement.
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SGT Aaron Atwood
SGT Aaron Atwood
8 y
By "using" the coin I mean to be in a bar, pull out and plop down your coin. That's initiating a challenge among those who give a hoot. Among those who give a hoot: if they have their own challenge coins they will present them accordingly, and if someone didn't have their coin on hand they bought all of you a drink.
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LCpl Jeff Moore
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I have a few i had out as rewards and such, most of the customs officer i work with a really big into collecting them. So they get me stuff and they get one.

I collected a few and would of love to have one when i was with 1/5 and mscfo rota.
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PO2 Shaun Harris
PO2 Shaun Harris
8 y
Rota was an awesome place to be!
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SCPO Michael Twohie
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In the old days it was rare to have them and it was usually the spec/ops/warfare guys that had them, I've met that challenge a few times.
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SGT Squad Leader
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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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