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)

[CO-TwinSalorsMom]

I packed away my Power school Graduation program too fast. So I got the symbols backwards. EM is the think that looks like a world with longitude and latitude lines on it and ET is the atom. Hey I did get the propeller one right.
My boy is an EM.

[MichianaMom]

From what MattsMom posted looks like the Nuke symbols are the same as the non-Nuke ones

[UBU'sMom]

My son said a propeller for the MMs would be good.

[Craig]

MichianaMom - Yea those rating symbol are the same.  To me, I think they should have a "N" in the middle of them to show the HUGE difference between a regular sailor and a Nuke.  When I become CNO that will be my 1st change ~ha.....  

Up until then, I need to keep the rating symbol the same, because that is a pride thing.  However, I can garnish things around it.  Having pride in your rating is where it's at....  

[CO-TwinSalorsMom]

How

[CO-TwinSalorsMom]

How about this patch I like the shape and the colors

[DrSailor]

Hello,

Is it too late for me to help? I'm the mom of a Nuke ET3 at Goose Creek and a Navy reservist myself. I love designing things and in previous lives designed or helped designed several competition-winning logos (small stuff, the largest was a statewide thing). I will pass on the opportunity to win $100 just to be a part of the team because I really want to be able to contribute something back to the community that is shaping my daughter into a Sailor and contribute to the Nuke community (she will be completing prototype by the end of the year). I have a Twitter account and Facebook if you need to contact me privately. My apologies in advance if I have stepped on toes Inadvertently by my enthusiasm for this project. 

Thanks!

Donna aka DrSailor

[B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)]

Donna - by all means you can help out!  At this point Craig already has the 17 people for the contest but we could always use more ideas.....sounds like you have a creative streak too!  Make sure you read through all the posts to see what's going on and then jump in with ideas.  Thanks for helping ;-)

[CO-TwinSalorsMom]

Craig, spoke with my son, he would love to help out but said almost everything he could think of, and some really cool stuff, is all classified. So this is going to be tough. I think it will have to be something to do with the campus at Goose Creek as they all start out there.

[Lucky Dang]

Hey, check out this cool shirt I found: Keep Calm

[UBU'sMom]

I love this
will order one for my DIL.

[Craig]

You guys are doing really good!  
I love the ideas that are flowing...  

DrSailor - You are more than welcome to join this little group.  To me, any ideas are great.  Once I get the ideas, it takes about 3 weeks to come up with something that I can edge into metal.  Then it takes about 2 months to actually mint them.  I am such a small guy that we are like last in the line.  

I actually can't wait for the power ball draw...  It should be interesting and fun!  I love being in contest for crazy stuff, and I'm glad you guys are my 1st group that I can pass the craziness down to.