Challenge Coin Rules

[Major Carrales]

I disagree.....They are supposed to build unit morale.  Sure activites can use them too...but every unit can too.

Your talking about unit medals..."challenge coins".  I don't see how that would mean anything much to me, being from a different unit, as opposed to having a "challenge coin" from the, let's say, Texas Wing Encampment or Region Staff College.

I understood it to work like this...

1) Myself and others attend the school or encampment or other occasion.

2) We complete the activity and acquire the "challenge coin." 

3) A while later I encounter the others, or hear some fellow talking about the occasion.

4) I thus challenge the individual with my coin, if they fail to produce, then they procure the meal or libation or what ever.

The Unit coins would serve the same function, providing you meet someone who used to be in your unit.

[lordmonar]

The point being...if you are not in my unit.....I don't care if you got a coin or not.  It is my unit that counts.  So even if I had a "god thought I was good" coin from an NCSA I would still carry my squadron coin.

It is cool that you got your encampment coin...and it is cool that you keep that esprit de corps....but it is better if you get and keep that same spirit with your home unit.  My home unit is 99% more important than anything else I have done in CAP.

YMMV.

[Major Carrales]

It is cool that you got your encampment coin...and it is cool that you keep that esprit de corps....but it is better if you get and keep that same spirit with your home unit.  My home unit is 99% more important than anything else I have done in CAP.

Wow...who would have thought that the Nellis WING was so cool?   Our unit does not yet have a coin and I agree that the local part of CAP is the best, but I don't see your animosity toward event coins.

Its not that "I went to XXX activity, so I am better than you" mentality, its "I went to this, so did you...have you with you your coin?" 

[kpetersen]

Wow...who would have thought that the Nellis WING was so cool?   Our unit does not yet have a coin and I agree that the local part of CAP is the best, but I don't see your animosity toward event coins.

Its not that "I went to XXX activity, so I am better than you" mentality, its "I went to this, so did you...have you with you your coin?" 

If you could only challenge people who went to the same activity as you, with the coin received from that activity, people would have to carry way too many coins with them.  By that count, I would have 6 activity coins alone, plus one for whichever unit I was currently assigned to. 

As to the comparing coins thing, funniest thing I saw was at NBB in 2006 at the final banquet.  Someone posted a coin check, so there were dozens on the table.  Since there was no way of proving who did not yet have a coin, the Commadant of Cadets opted to find the highest rated coin: two people had our former National CC's coin, and one person had a 2 star adjutant general coin.  The CAP one "won" because we were at a CAP activity...

Proof that coin checks are not equal across the board: I tried coin checking a retired army brig gen at a friend's wedding.  He didn't have a coin on him, so he tried trading me an army of one pin for my coin.  He thought coins were only presented; when they were, people swapped coins.

[Major Carrales]

If you could only challenge people who went to the same activity as you, with the coin received from that activity, people would have to carry way too many coins with them.  By that count, I would have 6 activity coins alone, plus one for whichever unit I was currently assigned to. 

Well, that's part of the game now isn't it.  You carry the one you value the most (as was said) if you are challenged and prove lacking...then you pay the price.

I don't know...as I said, I only carry one "TEXAS WING EMERGENCY SERVICES."

[Eclipse]

My unit coin is always in the wallet, so coin me at your own risk.   

When I'm at encampment, I carry the encampment coin in my pocket.

On a mission I grab the SARDog for luck.

If I'm going to see the guys that I went South with in '05 in an ES context, I'll usually throw that one in the pocket.

Otherwise the rest of them stay in the display as they were likely exchanged with other commanders, etc.

The key here is responding with a coin that is "yours", and again, doing it in good spirit.  Units that have their own traditions are fine, but then those traditions should be held locally.

[lordmonar]

It is cool that you got your encampment coin...and it is cool that you keep that esprit de corps....but it is better if you get and keep that same spirit with your home unit.  My home unit is 99% more important than anything else I have done in CAP.

Wow...who would have thought that the Nellis WING was so cool?   Our unit does not yet have a coin and I agree that the local part of CAP is the best, but I don't see your animosity toward event coins.

Its not that "I went to XXX activity, so I am better than you" mentality, its "I went to this, so did you...have you with you your coin?" 

Oh...I don't have any animosity toward event coins....but you stated that you wish coins were only available at events.  Hense you were trying take away from me (a unit) a valuable tool for morale.  I think even coins are cool...I got my NESA coin...but I carry my unit coin, because my unit is more important then NESA.  And on the off chance we coin someone from outside the unit...and he wants to play....any coin will do in a jam. 

[Major Carrales]

It is cool that you got your encampment coin...and it is cool that you keep that esprit de corps....but it is better if you get and keep that same spirit with your home unit.  My home unit is 99% more important than anything else I have done in CAP.

Wow...who would have thought that the Nellis WING was so cool?   Our unit does not yet have a coin and I agree that the local part of CAP is the best, but I don't see your animosity toward event coins.

Its not that "I went to XXX activity, so I am better than you" mentality, its "I went to this, so did you...have you with you your coin?" 

Oh...I don't have any animosity toward event coins....but you stated that you wish coins were only available at events.  Hense you were trying take away from me (a unit) a valuable tool for morale.  I think even coins are cool...I got my NESA coin...but I carry my unit coin, because my unit is more important then NESA.  And on the off chance we coin someone from outside the unit...and he wants to play....any coin will do in a jam. 

Hummmmm....can't say I want to fight you, or anyone over this.  I don't recall my wishes equaling CAP Policy and I don't also find UNIT numistmatics to be anything really bad.  If any coin will work...so be it!!!  Now, sell me one of your coins...PM the details.