Donald Trump is known for “going big” when it comes to ambition and projects… and now he’s doing exactly that for a military tradition that is familiar to nearly everyone who has served.
According to Fox News, the president has completely revamped his “challenge coin” and given it some noticeably “yuuuge” upgrades.
Military challenge coins are special tokens that feature a unit designation and are carried as a morale item by military members. During a “challenge,” every serviceman present must show the coin, and anyone who is not carrying one is expected to buy a round of drinks for the others.
Coins from a high-ranking officer can also “beat” lower-ranking coins and earn the holder a drink during the good-natured game. For example, someone who has received a coin from an admiral or general has a good chance of beating the other tokens in a group, and can win a round of refreshment.
As you might have guessed, no token can “trump” one from the commander in chief of the United States armed forces, which makes the president’s challenge coin particularly valuable to men and women in uniform.
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The coin carried and given out by Barack Obama was fairly basic, with the White House on one side and the presidential seal on the other. There was previously not much difference between the president’s and vice president’s challenge coins, and at first glance they could easily be mixed up.
Not anymore. Trump has stepped up his challenge coin game, and made sure that receiving the token will be a memorable occasion for our troops.
Featuring “Make America Great Again” in embossed letters, Trump’s coin is dramatically thicker and heavier than Obama’s — and has received the gold treatment, making it significantly more valuable.
The presidential coin gets a makeover.
Out: “E pluribus unum.”
In: “Make America Great Again.”https://t.co/MhgMYQnM4D— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) December 22, 2017
“In addition to his signature, Trump’s name appears three times on the coin, which is nearly twice as thick as its predecessors, while the traditional subdued silver and copper coloring is replaced with gold,” Fox explained.
The Washington Post reported that Trump was directly involved in the design of the new coin, and a White House aide claimed that the president “wanted to weigh in on it.”
Predictably, some people managed to find fault with the upgrade. CNN whined about the hefty gold coin being “gaudy,” while others complained that including the phrase “Make America Great Again” went too far.
“For the commander in chief to give a political token with a campaign slogan on it to military officers would violate the important principle of separating the military from politics, as well as diminishing the tradition of the coin,” protested Trevor Potter, a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission.
Of course, the coin is not issued by the government but by the president himself. The hand-wringing over Trump including his famous pro-American outlook on a token that he will be personally giving out seems like a very fussy complaint.
A spokesperson for Secretary of Defense Mattis — who also gives out challenge coins — explained that the tradition is about boosting morale.
“It’s not about him. It’s about the person whose hand he is shaking,” Mattis’ office told The Washington Post.
The complaints about “gaudiness” miss the point: Meeting the president of the United States is a rare and special event for most members of the military. The challenge coin should be rare and special as well, and the 45th president’s token will no doubt be a unique keepsake for troops who receive it.
President Trump has shown his genuine admiration and respect for the military many times. He could have simply ignored the challenge coin tradition or re-used the design from his predecessor.
Instead, he took the time to make the tradition truly special, and ensure that troops he meets walk away with great stories… and with a gold coin in their pocket that guarantees they’ll probably never have to buy a round of drinks again.
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via Conservative Tribune
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