This month’s featured custom challenge coin celebrates the 314^th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion out of Sloan, Nevada. Forward support and logistics is one of the most overlooked aspects of the United States military structure. Everyone knows about front-line soldiers; not everyone understands the thousands of man-hours and millions of dollars it takes to transform a run-of-the-mill civilian into a custom-crafted highly-specialized warrior. This is where units like the 314^th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion really shine. Soldiers on the battlefield rely on expert logistics knowledge and the very latest technology to get the job done. Combat Sustainment Support Battalions in the various theaters throughout the world are tasked with delivering these important elements to soldiers on the ground. Without the provision Combat Sustainment Support Battalions provide, the United States military would be absolutely unable to continue being the world’s premier fighting force. With the support of CSSBs throughout the world, the US military is able to further the cause of freedom with the latest training, technology, infrastructure, and logistics.

Military Custom Challenge Coins – 314^th CSSB Taskforce Scorpion

This month’s beautiful military custom challenge coin was created to honor the extraordinary accomplishments of commanders in the 314^th CSSB within the ongoing mission of Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve. Tasked with facing the new and dynamic threat of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (commonly known as “ISIS”), CJTF-OIR is comprised of soldiers and support personnel from the United States and several of our allies. The threat posed by ISIS demands a new approach, and this demand was met when the Department of Defense formed the CJTF-OIR in 2014.

Operating in Iraq since 2004, Taskforce Scorpion has been integral in forward support as well as aggressively patrolling supply routes while pushing into enemy territory. The 314^th Combat Sustaining Support Battalion recently took over for the 314^th CSSB out of Buckeye, Arizona in late 2016. Almost immediately, the 314^th got the opportunity to prove its metal on one of the most dangerous and unpredictable battlefields on earth.

Celebrating Those Who Sustain Our Freedom

The obverse face of this month’s military custom challenge coin features a matte-nickel finish with a polished nickel rim. “Task Force Scorpion” is rendered in polished raised “stencil” lettering above an intricately-crafted debossed scorpion logo. To the left of the scorpion is the 314^th Combat Sustaining Support Battalion’s unit crest (a lit bomb over crossed swords under a double chevron with the Unit Motto, “sustaining freedom’s fight”) crafted in full-color acrylic resin. To the right of the scorpion is a cerulean silhouette of Nevada with a banner reading “Las Vegas, NV.”

The banner stretching across the top of the coin’s rim reads “314^th Combat Support Battalion.” The bottom banner repeats the unit’s motto “Sustaining Freedom’s Fight.” Both are embossed into a raised white field and are written in the same stencil font as “Task Force Scorpion,” lending this coin a solid and gritty aesthetic.

The reverse face of the coin features the same matte nickel finish with a silhouette of the nation of Iraq in the red, white, and black of the Iraqi flag emblazoned in green Arabic characters with the national motto of Iraq – “Allahu Akbar” which translated means “God is the Greatest”. To the left of the Iraq silhouette is the rank badge of a lieutenant commander set off in polished nickel. To the right of the Iraq silhouette is a full color rendition of the Command Sargent Major rank badge. Below the silhouette, written in debossed stencil lettering, is “2016-2017.”

The banner across the coin’s top rim reads “Operation Inherent Resolve,” calling back to the name of the Combined Joint Task Force the 314^th Combat Sustaining Support Battalion is an integral part of. Across the bottom of the coin, we read “Command Coin Presented for Excellence” which gives us a clue to the provenance of this rare military custom challenge coin.

Honoring our Heroes with Challenge Coins

The custom challenge coin tradition is at least as old as the Vietnam conflict. Thanks to these limited-run, handcrafted coins, soldiers can carry a piece of history and heritage with them wherever they go. It is hard to overstate the value of challenge coin culture… though outside the military, very few people have ever heard of military challenge coins or the stories associated with them.

In the same way, people often forget the less-glamorous members of our Armed Forces. When we get the opportunity to honor a unit like the 314^th Combat Sustaining Support Battalion with a custom challenge coin, we also get the change to foreground the work of these valiant (but often invisible) warriors in a way that will pass the test of time. There is no doubt that when one of the 314^th’s soldiers feels the weight of our coin in their hand, it’s more than just metal. It’s memories, honor, camaraderie, and heritage. It’s the weight of history made by everyday men and women just doing their jobs. It’s more than just a coin. It is a memento that will last lifetimes.

Military Custom Challenge Coins

When a unique achievement calls for a unique keepsake, Unit Coins has the custom coin designs that will capture a moment in time forever. We offer custom military challenge coins in almost any configuration you can imagine, from simple metal coins in traditional shapes to multicolor acrylic resin details and fantastic custom shapes. Bring your own idea or work with our talented teams of custom coin artists. Veteran-owned and made in the USA, we hear at Unit Coins understand challenge coin culture. Nothing makes us happier than coming across our coins in circulation, proudly representing the units they commemorate.

Now more than ever, those serving our country at home and abroad need our support. The world is changing, but some things never do Duty, honor, and courage define the ethic of the United States Armed forces. And, just like the 314^th CSSB, the critical importance of a unit’s contribution can be too easily overlooked. Let’s celebrate every hero. Create your custom challenge coin today.