US Army Chemical Corps Challenge Coin

Prepared for the Worst

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Some military specialties train for situations everyone expects.

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The Chemical Corps trains for the ones everyone hopes never happen.

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The Chemical Corps challenge coin honors the Soldiers responsible for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear preparedness—the professionals expected to understand the hazard, protect the force, and help a unit continue operating when the environment becomes part of the problem.

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Their job begins long before an incident occurs.

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• Training.

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• Detection.

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• Protection.

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• Decontamination.

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• Assessment.

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• Warning.

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• Planning.

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CBRN defense is built around preparation because once the threat is present, figuring things out from scratch is a particularly poor strategy.

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Chemical Corps Soldiers are trained to operate in environments where contamination, toxic industrial hazards, biological threats, radiological exposure, and other CBRN conditions can alter an entire operation.

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When everyone else sees a warning symbol, they see information.

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When everyone else reaches for the manual, they are expected to already know what comes next.

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Because CBRN operations are rarely convenient.

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• Protective equipment limits visibility.

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• Masks complicate communication.

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• Heat becomes harder to manage.

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• Simple tasks become slower.

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• Equipment must still function.

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• Leadership must still happen.

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The mission does not disappear simply because the environment has become hostile.

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The force adapts.

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And somebody has to know how.

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Chemical Corps Soldiers rarely receive the same visibility as tankers, Aviators, Infantrymen, or Artillerymen, at least not until something goes wrong.

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Then suddenly everybody becomes extremely interested in the chemical officer.

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That is part of what makes the profession distinctive.

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Its effectiveness is often measured by what never happens.

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• A unit remained protected.

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• Contamination was identified.

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• A hazard was avoided.

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• Protective measures worked.

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• The formation kept moving.

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• The mission continued.

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• There may not be dramatic photographs afterward.

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That is generally considered a successful outcome.

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Built for CBRN Professionals

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This Chemical Corps challenge coin is designed for Chemical Corps Soldiers, CBRN specialists, 74-series personnel, veterans, retirees, instructors, leaders, and anyone whose service centered on protecting the force against unconventional hazards.

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It works especially well as a keepsake for:

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• Chemical School graduation,

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• promotion,

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• PCS,

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• reenlistment,

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• deployment,

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• retirement,

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• unit recognition,

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• career milestones,

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• CBRN training accomplishments,

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• or as a gift from teammates who spent entirely too much time together wearing protective masks.

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Because Chemical Corps Soldiers understand something the rest of the Army occasionally forgets:

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The worst time to learn how your protective equipment works is when you actually need it.

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Adapt and overcome.

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Prepared for the worst.

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If you can smell it, you’re already wrong.