Challenge coins are Old Corps imo. I’ve never seen anyone actually legitimately pull one out and try to “challenge” someone. I think I would laugh and walk away. But then again I’m a dumb Grunt what do I know :D.
Marine Corps Balls from what I’ve heard are suppose to be fun, like watching your SgtMaj break dance. I was always on Deployment during the Ball, never been to one in all my four years in.
Absolutely. That’s the role they fulfill, for most. Easier to pack than plaques and photo frames, that’s for sure. I know several folks that substitute a line of coins for an “I Love Me!” wall that tracks their entire career, unit to unit. By all means, get him a coin.
There are two kinds of Challenge Coins-
The current coin craze has little to do with tradition. A few units like the Rangers keep the tradition alive and have a history of using the coins. Hell, I used to carry my coin in my soap dish so I wouldn’t get coin checked in the shower. Coins work well with the Ranger mentality and tradition and I don’t know any other kind of unit that has as much history and espirt de corps surrounding the use of them.
The SF guys in my era were not too bothered with coins, and tended to concentrate on getting something a bit more useful, like a Rolex.
From what I remember, the tradition is said to date back to a certain aviation unit in WW1, and was popular with the airborne troops in WW2.
The Army wants everyone to feel special these days.:
The disease of Coinotis has even spread through the Government.
Oh, and they even have a coin now for the Ft. Hood shooting…
Nice. Slightly OT, but why is it that the farther you get from units where the fighting is actually done, the harder everyone seems to be trying to project a tough-guy/we-belong-too demeanor? It’s more than a little ridiculous.
AC
I used to value the uniqueness and rarity of actually having a coin.
I appreciated the fact that only a few folks had certain coins.
Passing out coins willy nilly, or even buying them kind of ruins the entire experience, imo.
I have a 2 ACR coin from CSM Gene McKinney. At the time I thought it was pretty cool, but not everyone had one, either.
Coins have become as special as last place ribbons at the Special Olympics.
So did you throw away the coin your dad gave you at MCRD Graduation?
I have some coins from the NAV, but got even more from the USAF (as a Civy)! Go figure that one out.
IMHO, the challenge coin thing is dead. Cool to collect, but that is about it (and one should never buy one).
C4
I haven’t seen or heard of anyone coining anyone in a couple of decades on the Army side of the house. A few SF friends of my father (Vietnam era) showed them to me back in the late 70s and they were pretty unique, but just for getting free drinks. Same in my era, but pretty much every branch of service had their own coin, as well as Divisions, Brigades and the like. My most cherished ones were from some of the units I was assigned to, 3 of them pure sterling silver.