Seen on the street in Kyiv.

Words of Advice:

"If Something Seems To Be Too Good To Be True, It's Best To Shoot It, Just In Case." -- Fiona Glenanne

“The Mob takes the Fifth. If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?” -- The TOFF *

"Foreign Relations Boil Down to Two Things: Talking With People or Killing Them." -- Unknown

“Speed is a poor substitute for accuracy.” -- Real, no-shit, fortune from a fortune cookie

"If you believe that you are talking to G-d, you can justify anything.” — my Dad

"Colt .45s; putting bad guys in the ground since 1873." -- Unknown

"Stay Strapped or Get Clapped." -- probably not Mr. Rogers

"The Dildo of Karma rarely comes lubed." -- Unknown

"Eck!" -- George the Cat

* "TOFF" = Treasonous Orange Fat Fuck, A/K/A Dolt-45,
A/K/A Commandante (or Cadet) Bone Spurs,
A/K/A El Caudillo de Mar-a-Lago, A/K/A the Asset., A/K/A P01135809

Monday, February 1, 2016

"Challenge Coins"

I served for a fair piece back during the Cold War. Mostly worked with other folks in the Sea Service, occasionally got to meet Army, Air Force and a few foreign types, mostly socially.

In all that time, I never heard of a "challenge coin", let alone saw one.

I don't understand the concept, other than handing them out in lieu of pay or bonuses. As far as the "challenge" part, do you get to keep inferior coins, as though it was a game of marbles? The loser buys drinks?

Maybe it was a different time, back then. For I can't see where handing out such trinkets would have been met with anything other than snark and derision.

4 comments:

Deadstick said...

I was an AF ossifer from 1962 to '68 and I never heard of them. The closest thing I remember is "Are you a turtle?"

riverrider said...

mostly for moral, but the challenge comes in at the bar. each coin is issued at a certain level like company, battalion, division. a division coin overrules a battalion and so on. if a guy steps up to the bar and slams his coin on the bar, everybody has to equal or outrank his coin or buy the drinks. if he loses of course he buys and is forever known as a dumbass. never saw it used except one post deployment drunkfest though.

Paul said...

We had 'em at the 32nd Tac Fighter Squadron. Later in my career, when I was assigned to USSOCOM, I got another one, which I still have. In both cases, we challenged one another at the O Club bar. Once I left the 32nd I was never challenged with that coin again. Ditto USSOCOM.

3383 said...

I think one (a SecNav?) was a clue in a N(C)IS episode. I thought it was as fictional as the show's entire concept.