Unit "Challenge" Coins

Many units in the U.S. Army have coins.  These coins probably came into common use sometime in the 1970’s or 1980’s, and were generally given out by the unit commander as a sort of “on the spot” award for performance or as gifts to visitors to the unit.  In addition to the more standard “Commander’s Coin”, there were sometimes Command Sergeant Major’s coins.  Another subset were coins commemorating specific events such as Operation Desert Storm.

We are in the process of collecting images of all the units coins within or near the 3d Armored Division.  In some cases, we have more than one face for a given unit coin.  We will try to present as many as possible over time.  Please note that there are many images on this page:  it may take a couple minutes to fully display on your screen.  Also, the coins are arranged in a generally brigade structure.  Thus, 1st Brigade would precede 2d Brigade, and the units within 1st Brigade would fall after 1st Brigade but before 2d Brigade.  We are also attempting to present all variations of unit coins.  Two examples here are the 3d Armored Division coin (three variants) and the 122d Main Support Battalion (three variants, one of which is larger than “standard”).

If you have a related 3AD coin that you do not see here (including variants), we would very much appreciate an image of that coin.  If you email us such an image, please scan the coin at about 300 dpi in a format such as *.tif or *.bmp.  If you send the image as a *.jpg, please keep the resolution and quality settings high so that we will have enough image data to make a decent web presentation.  When you scan the coin, please send each side of the coin as a separate file.  The address to send to is gordondw@3ad.org.

If you are interested in a method of coin display/storage, here is the website of a serving member of the U.S. Air Force who makes display cases: Morgan House Woodprojects..

The images below came from the private collections of members of the Association of 3d Armored Division Veterans.  We greatly appreciate their help in completing this page.

Association of 3d Armored Division Veterans

All Era Coin

  

Cold War

  

Desert Storm

  

 

32nd Armored Regiment

  

 

Echelons Above Division

V Corps

  

 

3AD Divisional Unit Coins

3d Armored Division

  

  

  

  

  

  

3d Armored Division Assistant Chief-of-Staff G2 (Intelligence) Coin

  

3d Armored Division Recruiting Coin

  

1st Brigade

  

2d Battalion, 32d Armor

  

4th Battalion, 32d Armor

  

2d Battalion, 33d Armor

  

4th Battalion, 34th Armor (attached during Operation Desert Storm)

  

3d Battalion, 5th Cavalry

  

5th Battalion, 5th Cavalry

  

2d Brigade

  

3d Battalion, 8th Cavalry

  

4th Battalion, 8th Cavalry

  

4th Battalion, 18th Infantry

  

3d Brigade

  

2d Battalion, 67th Armor

  

4th (Combat Aviation) Brigade

  

2d Battalion, 227th Aviation

  

4th Squadron, 7th Cavalry (DIVCAV)

  

  

Division Artillery (DIVARTY)

  

  

2d Battalion, 3d Field Artillery

  

2d Battalion, 29th Field Artillery (attached during Operation Desert Storm)

  

4th Battalion, 82d Field Artillery

  

12th Engineer Battalion (attached during Operation Desert Storm)

  

Task Force 33d Engineers (Provisional) (Desert Storm only)

  

Division Support Command (DISCOM)

  

  

503d Forward Support Battalion

  

45th Forward Support Battalion

  

122d Main Support Battalion

  

  

  

3d Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery

  

533d Military Intelligence Battalion

  

143d Signal Battalion

  

 

Non-3AD Coins of Units/Organizations with some relationship to 3AD

Frankfurt Military Community

  

Hanau Military Community

  

Gießen Military Community

  

Kirch-Göns Military Subcommunity

  

42d Field Artillery Brigade (habitual GS support to 3AD)

  

2d Battalion, 20th Field Artillery (habitual GS support to 3AD)

  

3d Battalion, 20th Field Artillery (habitual GS support to 3AD)

  

317th Engineer Battalion (habitual support to 3AD)

  

17th Signal Battalion (support unit)