Vintage US Army 191st Ordnance Battalion Challenge Coin Miesau Germany

A carried, two-sided US Army challenge coin from the 191st Ordnance Battalion, which operated Miesau Army Ammunition Depot in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

Miesau was the largest US Army ammunition storage facility outside the United States, holding 200,000 tons of munitions at the height of the Cold War and serving as the critical supply node for US Army Europe and NATO operations in the region.

Unit history:
The 191st Ordnance Battalion ran both Miesau Army Depot and Ammunition Supply Point 8 at Weilerbach. During the Cold War the depot stockpiled munitions for the entire 7th Army. After 2001 the battalion shipped over 500 pallets of ammunition in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. When insurgents disrupted the main supply route from Kuwait to Baghdad in April 2004, soldiers at Miesau worked around the clock in two 12-hour shifts to prepare 150 pallets for direct delivery into Baghdad.

Obverse:
Unit designation 191st Ordnance Battalion and Miesau, Germany in raised lettering around a dark band. The red enamel centre features a raised dark bronze unit emblem - a gold spearhead superimposed over lightning bolts and pine trees, symbolising the unit's strike capability and its German forest base. The motto "Firepower for Landpower" curves through the inner ring.

Reverse:
Inscribed "For Outstanding Performance" with a First Sergeant rank chevron alongside unit emblems and a blank banner intended for recipient engraving. Used as a commander's recognition coin, presented to soldiers for service.

Condition:
Honest carry wear consistent with regular handling. The brass rim has minor chips and scuffing. The red enamel has light surface scratches. No cracks, bends or repairs. Relief detail crisp and fully legible on both sides. Please examine all photographs carefully as they form an important part of the condition description.

Circa: Late Cold War to early Global War on Terror period, consistent with the unit's active years at Miesau.

Item Details:

• Unit: 191st Ordnance Battalion, US Army
• Location: Miesau Army Ammunition Depot, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
• Type: Military challenge coin - commander's recognition coin
• Obverse motto: Firepower for Landpower
• Reverse inscription: For Outstanding Performance
• Material: Brass with red enamel
• Condition: Honest carry wear, relief detail crisp

Packed carefully and dispatched securely from the UK.