CHALLENGE COIN

One Team, One Fight, One Future represents the Army's vision for developing Total Army integration programs. More than just a slogan, these words reflect three imperatives for America’s Army to provide the most effective and efficient landpower for the 21st Century:

It is about developing programs for the continuing integration of the

Army National Guard, the Army Reserve and the Active Army.

Beginning in 1995 until the present, FORSCOM units have provided major support to US efforts to establish and maintain peace in the former Republic of Yugoslavia, as different elements attempted to establish their statehood. FORSCOM units have served as peacekeepers in Operations JOINT ENDEAVOR and JOINT GUARD in the new countries of Bosnia, Herzegovina, Serbia, and Macedonia. In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on Sept 11, 2001, as part of Operation NOBLE EAGLE, FORSCOM provided humanitarian and security support to civilian authorities first in New York City and Washington, DC, and subsequently throughout the United States. FORSCOM was one of the major force providers for Operation ENDURING FREEDOM in the opening phase of the War on Terrorism in Afghanistan.

	Still too hot for Jeff, but Mutt went very early Sunday Mutt arrived at the Swap Shop just before 6: AM. It was already hot, but a little cloud cover made it ok. Stopping to visit with several dealers who sometimes have coins, he made the rounds of the garage sale section in about two hours. Nothing there to purchase. Heading out to the back section, where all the regular dealers are, was not much better. Said to himself "I guess Jeff was right, should wait until fall". Then to Mutt's surprise, almost at the last minute, he saw a medal. Very unusual, a type he had never seen before. The asking price was only five dollars. Mutt made the purchase, wondering what he had found.

	Hours later after many Internet searches, a few facts came to light. It is called a CHALLENGE COIN. It's a military type piece. Challenge coins are also known as military coins, unit coins, memorial coins, unit challenge coins, or commander's coins. To continue his quest for information, Mutt, kept doing more searches. e-Bay had 33 pages or over 150 of them up for auction. Most are not real, just repros. One ex-soldier was selling his collection of about 30 real pieces and asking $20 to $30 each. His better pieces were already getting advancing bids. Mutt sent this ex-soldier an e-mail saying, "What is a challenge coin?" Received a nice reply, telling him that he probably holds the record for a real one sold on e-Bay at $350.00. He advised that the items on e-Bay were probably 99% not real. Someone on the auction site, described their piece as real, not one of the cheap Korean re-strikes. A search on the motto shown on the medal One Team, One Fight, One Future came up with the military history and plans for the future for FORSCOM, an Army of 28,000 soldiers stationed around the world.
	One Team, One Fight, One Future represents the Army's vision for developing Total Army integration programs. More than just a slogan, these words reflect three imperatives for America’s Army to provide the most effective and efficient landpower for the 21st Century: It is about developing programs for the continuing integration of the Army National Guard, the Army Reserve and the Active Army. Beginning in 1995 until the present, FORSCOM units have provided major support to US efforts to establish and maintain peace in the former Republic of Yugoslavia, as different elements attempted to establish their statehood. FORSCOM units have served as peacekeepers in Operations JOINT ENDEAVOR and JOINT GUARD in the new countries of Bosnia, Herzegovina, Serbia, and Macedonia. In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on Sept 11, 2001, as part of Operation NOBLE EAGLE, FORSCOM provided humanitarian and security support to civilian authorities first in New York City and Washington, DC, and subsequently throughout the United States. FORSCOM was one of the major force providers for Operation ENDURING FREEDOM in the opening phase of the War on Terrorism in Afghanistan.

	The challenge coin history goes back nearly a century and is a most interesting part of exonumia A Brief History of Challenge Coins Click on the coins below for link to read the HISTORY Just like they do now with all the political TV commercials, today, "Jeff has approved this statement". The images below are from another FORSCOM Challenge Coin, of Four Star General Hendrix


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