Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, AK Challenge Coin

Description

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is the largest Air Force/Army installation in Alaska. This unique challenge coin salutes the distinguished combat records of both Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson reaching back to WWI. Since consolidation in 2010 the Joint Base remains the bastion for freedom at the roof of the world.The host unit at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is the 3d Wing, United States Air Force. As the largest and principal unit within the Eleventh Air Force, the 3d Wing trains and equips combat-ready aircraft comprised of the deadliest fighters and most efficient air transports in the world: F-22A Raptors, F-15C/D, C-17 transports, and E-3B and C-12F/J aircraft. The 3d Wing provides air superiority, surveillance, tactical airlift and agile combat support forces for global deployment.This bold challenge coin shows the 3d Wing emblem on the obverse. The shield is divided diagonally into the original colors of the Air Service, green and black. Superimposed over it is a band of the Air Force's present colors, ultramarine blue, and the golden yellow representative of the Rio Grande River commemorating the group's first patrols along the Mexican border. The black German crosses equal the number of aerial victories credited to the group's squadrons during WWI. The reverse is the modern United States Air Force emblem. The coin is highlighted with rich enamels.