The Briefing Room

General Category => Military/Defense News => Topic started by: rangerrebew on January 03, 2018, 10:32:30 am

Title: Mattis: ‘I’m saving money for bombs’ instead of tokens of gratitude for troops
Post by: rangerrebew on January 03, 2018, 10:32:30 am
Mattis: ‘I’m saving money for bombs’ instead of tokens of gratitude for troops
By Julia Manchester - 12/31/17 10:05 AM EST


Defense Secretary James Mattis said he does not carry tokens of gratitude to hand out to U.S. troops, saying “I’m saving money for bombs.”

Mattis made the comment to Breitbart News after a reporter relayed a message from a U.S. Marine who asked whether the secretary was carrying challenge coins during a trip to an international terrorism conference in Jordan earlier this year.

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/366913-mattis-im-saving-money-for-bombs-instead-of-gratitude-tokens (http://thehill.com/policy/defense/366913-mattis-im-saving-money-for-bombs-instead-of-gratitude-tokens)
Title: Re: Mattis: ‘I’m saving money for bombs’ instead of tokens of gratitude for troops
Post by: Suppressed on January 03, 2018, 08:28:10 pm
Sad.

A single Mk 82's impact will be less than its $2K in challenge coins.
Title: Re: Mattis: ‘I’m saving money for bombs’ instead of tokens of gratitude for troops
Post by: Cyber Liberty on January 03, 2018, 08:53:48 pm
I don't know what to think of this story I saw a couple days ago, so I'm going to ask somebody I know and trust who works for Mattis.

@txradioguy, what do you think of this?  Seems to me the soldiers might see this as a bit of a slight, I thought Challenge Coins were really important, and not just for buying beers.
Title: Re: Mattis: ‘I’m saving money for bombs’ instead of tokens of gratitude for troops
Post by: driftdiver on January 03, 2018, 08:59:11 pm
So he's a cheap bleep, we already knew he had bleep in his personality.  I mean he is a marine and every marine I ever met had that quality.

Right now I'm more concerned with him winning the war(s) and keep our troops alive.  I'd imagine with all the budget cuts impacting the mission that coins are a low priority.  Hell when I was in we bought our own.
Title: Re: Mattis: ‘I’m saving money for bombs’ instead of tokens of gratitude for troops
Post by: mystery-ak on January 03, 2018, 09:03:17 pm
I am pretty sure Mattis would personally pay for these coins not the Defense Dept...my hubby has a drawer full of these coins.
Title: Re: Mattis: ‘I’m saving money for bombs’ instead of tokens of gratitude for troops
Post by: txradioguy on January 03, 2018, 10:22:39 pm
Quote from: Cyber Liberty on January 03, 2018, 08:53:48 pm
I don't know what to think of this story I saw a couple days ago, so I'm going to ask somebody I know and trust who works for Mattis.

@txradioguy, what do you think of this?  Seems to me the soldiers might see this as a bit of a slight, I thought Challenge Coins were really important, and not just for buying beers.

IIRC the whole challenge coin thing started out as an Army tradition that has bled over to the other services.  And it's each commanders choice whether they have them or not.

I'd like to be able to know whether Mattis carried them when he was in uniform.  I'm guessing by his response to that Marine the answer is no...and this was his way of giving a clever answer.