Sonar Technician (ST) Rating Challenge Coin

Our challenge coin from SubMerch shines a battle lantern (emergency light) on those crewmembers who spend time looking for contacts (ships or submarines) in the control room or sonar shack. ST's or STS's (Sonar Technicians / Sonar Technicians - Submarines) on board surface ships and submarines work with computer screens and headphones to sort through all the sounds of the ocean to find the bad guys in their ships or submarines. This challenge coin represents the many hours Sonar Tech's spend training with sound differentiating equipment, plus the co-ordination with the Fire Control Technicians (FT's) who track the contact as the second phase of 'find em', track em', kill em'', with the Torpedomen (TM's rounding out the Weapons Department) in the United States Navy. Of course, ST's start the whole process. The word sonar was invented as an intentional analog to the word “radar” and was originally intended to stand for “SOunding, NAvigation, and Ranging". The Navy changed the name of the Sonarman rating to the current Sonar Technician version in 1964. ST's are referred to as "Shower Techs" on submarines, due to their habit of using all the potable water.

Our coin is irregularly shaped, with a 3D King Neptune holding a golden seashell to his right ear to allow him to hear all the sounds of the ocean. He is wearing a gold crown, to match the shell. The shell is actually a door that opens on a hinge and is held in place with a magnet. The shell inside has the ST rating device, which is a set of headphones, with a horizontal arrow going through them. The back of our coin has 'SONAR TECHNICIAN' above the 'United States Navy' eagle clutching an anchor, which is above a set of enlisted dolphins. 'SILENT SERVICE' is next' and Mintonator (my boat nickname) is at the bottom. 

Our coin is made of nickel and a quality gold enamel for a high gloss finish.