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)

[BoyWonderMom]

My son is a MM and one day while in A school he called me to tell me mom, "they call us Monkeys". He was so amused by that and told me that everyone loves it! So I was thinking about a coin for MM's with a mean looking monkey in a sailors hat and the propeller in the back. Somewhere in between, the atom. With a saying like " NUKE MM SERVING THE FLEET " my son and his roommates loved the idea

[Craig]

Christ and all - My main thing is I want to make a rating coin.  The ones you see everywhere are specific to MM, ET, and EM.  There is nothing special for Nuke guys.  Its the same way with my rating CTM.  Sure them make a CT coin, but where is the CTM coin?  There isn't any.  Most people think CT's do language.  Yea, the CTI do, but here I am a CTM, I can barely speak English correctly and I've lived in the US forever.  As a CTM, I'm an electronic guy.  So why would I want Arabic, Farsi, Russian on my coin?  I wouldn't.  I would want something special to me....

I started with the boot camp coins just because the only thing they sold before that was just a Generic RTC coin.  I know me, I would want something that was geared to me.  I would want my ships coin.  In fact, I would want my division in boot camp coin, but that is just way too specific and would cost $1000's to make.

When I make a coin, I have to understand what it's all about.  I am kind-of a perfectist as far as making things right, and making it look good so sailors will be proud to carrying it.

Here is a couple coins I made for boot camp:

This is ship 2, the USS Reuben James.  All the ships at boot camp are named after real US Navy ships.  So on the coin I show FFG-57.  I also show what ship 2 is all about.  It's about the Performance Division which does the Flags, Band, Choir, Drill, and Staff.  Then I put on the Pirate to symbolize that Rueben James fought the Pirate in the Barbary Coast.  I tell this in story card.

Now lets look at the USS Burke ship-4 coin.  There are two types of recruits in ship 4.  You have the regular sailors, and you have the SEALS.  They are not the same.They are totally different, much like the regular Navy ET, compared to the Nuke ET's.  

So I have to design two different coins for them.  

The regular sailors on ship-4 would get this coin:  It shows the CNO flag.  It shows the ship in which the barracks was named after, and it shows a quote from Adm Burke.

Lastly,  here is the USS Burke ship-4 coin for the SEALS.  You have the 800 division, you have a famous quote, and you have the cross-hairs with a bullet going through the skull.  Yea, most moms wouldn't like that, but heck, it's for the sailors.  I had the SEALS at my work help me design this coin.  Notice that they made sure these guys know that they are "Candidates".  These guys are the guppies in the large sea training pipeline.

So, to make a coin, I need specific info so I totally understand it. I have to be in the right mindset to get it right.  I want your guys (and gals) to be proud of it 40 years from now when they have it in their shadow box.  It's a pride thing to me....

[Craig]

Also, although this is totally sad, I'm glad our Marvin Shields ship-13 coin will be soon at the grave of Marvin Shield.  I hopefully I will have pictures soon...  Very exciting for me.  
///////////////////////////
This is sad..
I know a lot of you wonder about how important a challenge coin is to a sailor. I will let this recent new report explain it (from 3 days ago).

PIRGifts has been contacted by various Naval official requesting our USS Marvin Shields Ship-13 coin. Strangely enough, we are the only vendor that currently mints a coin in honor of Marvin Shields and the ship in name for his honor. The actual ship, USS Marvin Shields DE-1066 has long been decommissioned so there wasn't a need or source available for the coin, except for PIRGifts.
PIRGifts is proudly donating several coins to replace the challenge coins that were stolen.

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Community-rallies-around-disrespect...

[Craig]

Here is just a little more history:

Here is a little history why I'm doing coins. 

I don't do this as a business, even though the IRS says I do... 

PIRGifts was originally developed to maintain my NavyDEP.com website, which helps prepare future sailors for boot camp. Most people have all been there by now, since it is where you will find out what happens each day at boot camp.http://www.navydep.com/forums/showthread.php?t=433

NavyDEP was built in 2007, and only within the past year have we had to sell coins to keep it the website running and always free for the future sailors.

Everyone has a hobbies. Some people collect stamps, my hobby and joy is helping sailors and their families. I love it when those sailors we have helped come back and provide guidance to those ready to go to boot camp at NavyDEP.com

While the IRS considers us a business, we truly aren't. We are more of a non-profit. Frankly, I don't think we have yet earned a dime. PIRGifts was built to give back to the community. Many of those we help don't have the special IRS "charity status" required, which is why the IRS considers us a business. 

Every month we donate money to various organizations. Unlike many businesses that are foreign owned, or just looking to make a buck, I do it to help our sailors and mankind. Most of these owners haven't a clue about the Navy, I do.  I have lived it, and still work with the Navy. I know what is proper and the tradition behind each item we sell. We only sell items that sailor would want.

Here is a picture I took on a medical mission we sponsored. We paid for all the logistics and many medical supplies to get medical and dental supplies/instruments to the Philippines. Because each town in the Philippines has basketball courts, for the dental side  we filled, and removed many teeth in the open air and we provided medical care for those having medical problems. The money for the Novocain for dental that these small children received was funded by your purchase of our coins. Just wanted you to realize where your money is going.

Here is a short video explaining what a challenge coin is:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/28663038#28663038

[Craig]

Christy - Here is the long version of the USS Marvin Shields ship-13.  It's about 100 pages.... Part 1 is geared about history and the front of the coin.  Part 2 is geared for Marvin Shields.  You can see that I'm a detailed guy.  I really want these sailors to understand why I produce what I do.  I go that one extra step....

Sorry for so many post after another.  But then again, that detailed guy mentality is coming through ~ha...

USS Marvin Shields (ship-13):

Ship_13_USS_Shields_The_Story_and_History_Part_1_of_2.pdf

Ship_13_USS_Shields_The_Story_and_History_Part_2_of_2.pdf

[CO-TwinSalorsMom]

Craig are the symbols for the rates that were posted different for each rate regular navy and Nukes the same? Like the propeller for the MM the atom symbol for the EM and the I don't know what to call the glob symbol for ET? You might also have something about Adm. Rickover. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyman_G._Rickover

[CO-TwinSalorsMom]

Challenge coins are part of other country's navy also. While on deployment a Norwegian Sailor gave my son one of his. He thought this was really neat. He loves all the coins I have gifted him. My nuke would love a new EM nuke coin.

[CO-TwinSalorsMom]

Do you just want ideas or would you like drawn out ideas for the coins also?

[CO-TwinSalorsMom]

Some problem also with the coin ideas might also be that so much of the Nuke program is Classified.

[MattsMom]

Spoke to my Sailor last night. He is going to do some more pondering, but would really like to see the EM badge. Here is a link:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rating_Badge_EM.jpg

My Sailor is very excited about this opportunity! Will be sending more input soon!

[B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)]

Craig - please don't apologize for posting so much!  I for one appreciate reading about the coins, the history, the meaning.  It's great to see what all you are doing to help others - keep it up!  I for one am glad that this is your "hobby"!  Hopefully we are coming up with ideas for you......I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

[UBU'sMom]

I agree! I'm glad you are out there! You were my life line when my son started on this journey. I love and appreciate all of your efforts!