Why Challenge Coins Matter

Recognition of Achievement

You worked hard. You overcame a challenge that few would. You sacrificed yourself by putting someone else’s needs before yours. When the moment came to make a decision, you stepped up and made the right one. These are actions that define your character and if you received a challenge coin from a supervisor or respected peer for something that you achieved how would that make you feel? Would you be more likely or less likely to make the same decision next time?

Recognition is not about ego unless the recognition is given to someone who didn’t actually do the work. It’s about building resilience for life’s marathon. It’s replenishing your reserves for the next gut punch. It’s motivation to fight through the next challenge. And the best part of a challenge coin? It requires no bureaucracy. There is no paperwork required. It’s simply one person saying to another, “damn fine job”.

If one of our great nation’s heroes, a Medal of Honor recipient, handed you a challenge coin and said “you have my respect”, would you put it in a drawer next to the batteries?

Pride and Camaraderie

We all know that feeling. The feeling you get when you wear the uniform for the first time. Or when you get selected for the special unit. Maybe it’s the colored beret. Maybe it’s the Velcro patch. Maybe it’s the trident. But it’s not about the uniform, it’s about what it means to wear it. You are now part of the community that you look up to, that you respect. You have been selected. You have earned it. And that’s just the beginning.

Over time you work your ass off to prove that you should be part of the community. You bleed and you sweat. You fail and you try again. Then it happens. Maybe it’s a nod. Maybe it’s a beer. But you know they see you as “one of us”. There’s that feeling.

It’s a feeling few people in this world will understand. It’s about being part of something much larger than yourself. It becomes part of your DNA. And for the rest of your life, you will stand a little bit taller. Stamp that feeling into a small piece of brass and carry it with you as a reminder of who you are and where you’ve been. One day you will leave that team. Carry that team with you.

Your Story Matters

If you put a small group of vets or cops together there is one guaranteed outcome. Storytelling. It’s finding common ground. It’s how we relieve stress. It’s how we remember. But you don’t just tell anyone. It requires a level of trust. Some memories you only talk about with the people that were there. Why is that?

Because our stories make us who we are. We hold them close. We guard them. And we only share them with people that we believe are worthy of our trust. Your stories are important. And not just to you. What if you found out that your grandfather fought at Iwo Jima? Or your grandmother intercepted enemy communications as part of the OSS? Would you not want to hear the story?

Your stories are important. Each challenge coin carries a story with it. You can leave them in a box in the attic for your kids to find after you’re gone, like finding your grandpa’s old war medals. Or you can display them and give your loved ones the opportunity to ask questions and know you better. At Valor Boards our motto is Share Your Stories. We are passionate about it. Every person’s story is unique. And we designed our challenge coin holder to be a unique display for your individual stories.