The 17 people that I need to help me design a new coin....

[Craig]

Dear Nuke Moms….
I need some help understanding the Nuke ratings…. 

A lot of you guys remember me from the boot camp era, I run a website called NavyDEP.com.  That website started in 2007.  To keep that website running and free for the future sailors I sell boot camp challenge coins on www.PIRGifts.com   I know some of you probably bought one for your sailors as a PIR gift. 
 
Many of the sailors I worked with on my website now have gone on and made their way to the fleet.  One item that many sailors in the Nuke rating ask is if I could make a coin for them since there is really not specific rating coin for the MM(n), ET(n), or EM(n) rating.

For some reason they lump all the MM(n), ET(n), and EM(n) nukes with the regular Navy MM, ET, and EM’s together.  Let’s face it, they are totally different.  They deserve their own rating challenge coin that is specific to them.  I know I would.  My old rating is the same way.  We have CTI, CTM, CTN, CTR, CTT all lumped in with the CT rating.  We are totally different.

So, this is where I need your help.
When I design coins I make them special.  I tell a story.  I want the sailors to be proud of having them and carrying them.  However, I don’t know the 1^st thing about the Nuke group. 

To have fun and to keep a flow of ideas going I will reward three (3) of you with a $100 each.  Contest will end in about 4 weeks ~ 13 Sept 2014.

Yes, being a sailor we have all sorts of contests to keep things fun, and let’s face it, I need help understating.  The front of the coin is geared to Goose Creek, or, Ballston Spa.  I know some of your training is at one, and some of your training is at the other.  The back will be for their specific rating.   

So what I need is:
I need 17 people that want to help me.  These people need to give really good info for me to understand the below.   I need honest effort.  Saying something like “Put an anchor” doesn’t really help.  I need specific things that mean something to Nukes.  This will be their coin.   

1.  What is something that is important in Goose Creek? (building? symbol? etc…)
(a picture or web link will help greatly)

2.  What is something that is important in Ballston Spa? (building? symbol? etc…)
(a picture or web link will help greatly)

Depending on your rating:
3.  What is three things that is important to a MM(n) that could be on a coin?
3.  What is three things that is important to a ET(n) that could be on a coin?
3.  What is three things that is important to a EM(n) that could be on a coin?

4.  I need to randomize the number to fairly let three people win the $100 money.  I’ll tell you more how the Colorado Power Ball lottery will chose the random number once I know who the people are…  But in the mean time.  When you sign up, give me two numbers between 1 and 35. Do not use a number that is already taken by the person above up....

Big thing:  You are working together as a team, so just throw ideas out there.  Give me anything you can think of.  Later on, the team will chose what's important and what's not.  The reward will be given to three random people, not to the one who can draw, or came up with the best idea.  All ideas are the best to me.  

So just to get things started.  I need 16 more people (with a total of 17) that want to do this. Once I find out who the 16 people are, then I’ll give you more info….  I will make a post in the discussion are, just reply to it, and the first 16 people (by date/time) order will be the ones I use. 
btw:  Since I pre-discussed this with B'sNukeMom to gather her thought, she is already on the list.

Since everyone has to pick two numbers, please let me know so we can get this part hammered out.  I love having fun, and this is the part we need to get finished 1st.

• B'sNukeMom  Picked 19 & 22
• Wendy & Family Craig picked 14 & 17
• Lynn Picked 12 & 21, 8isenuff had that number so Craig picked one. 
• UBU'sMom Picked 9 & 26
• Cybermom Picked 5 & 16
• CO-TwinSailorMom Picked 6 & 20
• TheBoyWonderMom Picked 15 & 23
• Nuke_ELT Picked 24 & 28
• A's_momma_Erin Picked 4 & 8
• 8isenuff Picked 7 & 21
• MN Mom of MM Picked 3 & 33
• 1proudmama/EM/S8G/1403 Picked 11 & 30
• britefuture Picked 31, but needs to pick another one, 11 is already used. Now 27
• MichianaMom Picked 2, but needs to pick another one, 11 is already used, 25
• MattsMom Picked 32, but needs to pick another one, 16 is already used. 29
• Christy Picked 10 & 29, 29 already used, Craig picked 13
• GRU_took_darsatm  Picked 18 & 34

1. - Lynn #1
2. - MichianaMom #1
3. - MN Mom of MM #1
4. - A's_momma_Erin #1
5. - Cybermom #1
6. - CO-TwinSailorMom #1
7. - 8isenuff #1
8. - A's_momma_Erin #2
9. - UBU'sMom #1
10. - Christy #1
11. - 1proudmama/EM/S8G/1403 #1
12. - Lynn #2
13. - Christy #2  - Edit WINNER of 2nd  (9/10/2014) Power Ball Draw!!!
14. - Wendy & family #1
15. - TheBoyWonderMom #1
16. - Cybermom #2
17. - Wendy & family #2
18. - GRU_took_darsatm  -  Edit - WINNER OF 1st (9/6/2014) Power Ball Draw!!!!
19. - B'sNukeMom #1
20. - CO-TwinSailorMom #2
21. - 8isenuff #2
22. - B'sNukeMom #2
23. - TheBoyWonderMom #2
24. - Nuke_ELT #1
25. - MichianaMom #2
26. - UBU'sMom #2
27. - britefuture #1  - Edit - WINNER of 3rd (9/13/2014) Power Ball Draw!!!
28. - Nuke_ELT #2
29. - MattsMom #1
30. - 1proudmama/EM/S8G/1403 #2
31. - britefuture #2
32. - MattsMom #2
33. - MN Mom of MM #2
34. - GRU_took_darsatm
35. -  DEAD NUMBER (Extra)

[A's_momma_Erin]

Craig, your designs are amazing!  My husband and I ordered 6 challenge coins for our son's PIR and they were stunning!  I cannot wait to see where this project leads...

Ok, so I admit, I have not been posting as to see what others have come up with and chatting with my Nuke to get his opinions.  

These are some of my son's contributions:

This is our Program Integrity statement (I believe he said they say this every day in A School at the beginning of classes)

Absolute Honestly Trustworthiness and Reliability in Nuclear Power plant Training Qualification operations and maintenance.

Demonstrating the moral courage to accept responsibility for ones actions

Placing responsibility to the nation and the navy ahead of loyalty to individuals.

I would recommend 6 Different challenge coins. 

One for Nuclear Field A School (NFAS) MM class

One for NFAS EM class

One for NFAS ET class

One for Nuclear Power School being as we all learn basically the same thing with only minor differences because of our rate

One for Charleston Prototype

One for Balston Spa Prototype

A few meaningful places at A-school and Power school are the

• Rickover http://www.netc.navy.mil/nnptc/_include/img/about/full/nnptc.jpg                             This is also the place at which we all take our A-school graduation photos 

• Admiral Rickover Memorial Plaque http://www.geocaching.com/track/log.aspx?LUID=e5779cd6-e4e2-476d-8b... 

 Now from me, the mom...

I love the idea of the patch shape, and the Atom, Propeller and Globe.  The cut out coins are amazing, but they don't leave much room for other details.  I could see the different symbols cut out in the center of the coin and the phrase "Absolute Honestly Trustworthiness and Reliability in Nuclear Power plant Training Qualification operations and maintenance." on one side and the rates and  locations on the other side like this one...

Hope this helps inspire someone as all your comments have inspired me....

[A's_momma_Erin]

Craig, I just read this and it is an amazing commentary of what the Nukes go through during all phases of schooling.  It made me (almost) want to call my Nuke and ask him if he was really sure he wanted to do this, but I KNOW he can do this and he WANTS to!

A Sailors Perspective of Prototype from 2009

[Craig]

Thanks A's_momma_Erin,
What's really hard for me is when I design stuff I have to know what it's all about.  I need to understand it so I can get the point across to the sailors of why it was designed the way it was.

It's really hard to think of stuff to fit on a 1 3/4 area, and I want it perfect.  Thus why I needed everyone's help.  I want them to have something that means something to them.  They truly have no rating coins for the Nukes, it's all the generic MM, ET, EM coins.  Let's face it, a regular sailor is not a Nuke.  Nukes go through so much more, and they get rewarded for that effort when re-enlistment time comes when they get those huge bonuses....
They need something that they can call theirs.....

I really appreciate your comments....

[Craig]

Congratulations...
The winners of the $100 are as follows:

• 9/6/2014 - GRU_too_darsatm
• 9/10/2014 - Christy
• 9/13/2014 - britefuture

Please message me and let me know how you would like your winnings sent...
Thank you to everyone for helping be understand the Navy Nukes....

[B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)]

Hey Craig - how's the coin coming along?  Need anything more from all of us?

[Craig]

B'sNukeMom - I haven't even started yet.  I am just finishing up my Blue Candle metal edging project.  It actually came out really nice.  The steel metal is actually laser cut to allow the light to pass through if you have the votive in it...

I am also still looking for the winners.  I have paid Christy for her winnings, but still need to pay $100 to GRU_too_darsatm and britefuture....  

Please PM me your address.  

*** The Legend of the Blue Candle *** 

The legend of the Blue Candle started many years ago during the yearsof WWII.  The year was 1942; our military was in the middle of two major conflicts, one against Japan, and the other against Germany.  We were losing thousands of military personnel daily.   Back then there was no TV, just radio and the newspaper.

An Army Captain, George Maines, conceived the idea of forming a group called the “Blue Star Mothers”.  He ran a newspaper article in January 1942 in Flint Michigan requesting information about young adults serving in the armed forces.   More than 1,000 mothers responded.  The Blue Star Mothers’ goals were to bring their sons home, to ensure they received the benefits they deserved, to help other service members’ families, and to help each other, and to be there if something happened.   Mothers would put a Blue Star in their window to honor their sons that were serving.  If their son happened to lose their life, then the Blue Star would then be replaced  by a Gold Star.

Radio played a very important part during the war years.  Even the military knew that radio was important.  On May 26, 1942, the War Department created the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS) to help our military in the field by playing American music. Even our enemies knew how effective radio was.  To make our military home sick, the Japanese used “Tokyo Rose”, while the Germans used “Axis Sally”.  They played American Music and telling outlandish tales of girlfriends being unfaithful while their men were at war.  At home, President Franklin D. Roosevelt began his “Fireside Chats” (1936-1945) radio program during the Great Depression and continued them through the War Years.  Families would huddle next to the radio each night, and listen to what the president had to say.  The war was a very important part of our society back then. 

As the night ended, the radio would be turned off.  The families, still huddled together, would light the “Blue candle” in memory of their own sons serving in combat, and to hope they too would return home soon.  They would watch the flicker of the burning candle, as they talked about the day’s events.  

Being from a very strong military background, in my family we still burn the blue candle. It is very important to my wife and I that we respect our own son and daughter who are now serving.  We light our blue candle when they are going through more than a normal day’s event.  Things like advancement test, sailor of the quarter boards, and getting underway on deployment to name a few. This is our moment to reflect, enjoy silent time, and just watch that candle flicker while we talk about 
our day’s event, as our own parent and grandparents did. 

[britefuture]

Craig, I love the Blue Candle project. It's fantastic! I assume that it will be available on the PIRGifts  site? Please let us know. I would like to buy a few for gifts.

[CO-TwinSalorsMom]

Craig I lost the candle info eons ago in posts. could you post here where you go to get the candles and how much they are? want some for Christmas. I am part of a group with 11 of up and so need 11 for me and all my friends on this group.

[B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)]

Hi Craig - Haven't heard anything from you in a while.  How is the coin coming along?

[CO-TwinSalorsMom]

I was also wondering how the coin is coming along. Also where can I get one of those great candle with the sailor I would like one of those. 

[B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)]

Hi Craig - just checking on the progress of the nuke coin....how are things going?

[CO-TwinSalorsMom]

It is my understanding the coin is done. I hope so anyway I bought one for my son for Prototype graduation. It is really pretty and he liked the edges on the front that look kinda like a gear.