Description
We can hardly believe that it has been 20 years since the fateful day in September that started the war in Afghanistan. In October, we celebrate the first "boots on the ground" in Uzbekistan and the opening of K2 Airbase. Our 20th Anniversary coin is a reminder of that September day that we watched with horror and resignation as our lives all changed forever.
We have included a great deal of symbolism in the coin. On the front are the Twin Towers and Lady Liberty, against a dark background to remind us of the New York Attacks that started it all. The Dagger refers to Task Force Dagger - the first incursions into Afghanistan - much of it on foot and horseback. The ribbons on the front of the coin are a replica of those on the TF Dagger coin.
The back of the coin shows K2 Uzbekistan and its strategic location to Afghanistan, The soldiers on horseback, are a call-out to that first group of soldiers from TF Dagger who fought their way to Mazari-Sharif in the early days of the war. If you look closely, you can see their trail in red dots in Northern Afghanistan.
The dagger on the back harkens to the Engineers who built K2, and the aircraft represents those stationed at the base.
