Obverse Design

The center of the challenge coin has an inner circle with a plain rim. Inside this inner circle is a map of the world with green continents and khaki seas and background. An airplane is flying diagonally across the map towards the upper left. The airplane has a hawk head in place of a normal airplace nose and hawk wings instead of airplane wings. The airplane body is white with a red strip and khaki windows. The hawk parts are brown and the beak is yellow. Across the top middle of the map is the name "AVTEL" in white and khaki banded letters. A second smaller line in all khaki says "SERVICES, INC." Curving along the bottom of the inner circle it says "KEEPERS OF THE HAWK" with a yellow five-point star at both ends.

A legend curving along the upper edge of the coin says "AIRBORNE RECONNAISSANCE LOW". The legend along the bottom edge of the coin says "ARL". There are five-point stars on both sides of "ARL". These legends have a background colored navy blue. The coin has a plain and smooth background, and a plain smooth raised edge.

Reverse Design

In the center of the coin is a globe with girdlines. At the top, bottom, left and right of the globe are letters for the points of the compass - "N", "S", "W" and "E" respectively. The letters are colored navy blue. The top of the globe in four lines says "PRESENTED", "FOR", "OUTSTANDING" and "SUPPORT". On the lower part of the globe is a scroll partially unrolled. This is where the name and other information about the recipient could be engraved.

The legends along the edges of the coin list the countries where ARL missions have taken place. Between each country is a five point star used as a divider. The legend along the upper edge of the coin has a star and then says "HAITI", star, "COLUMBIA", star, "KOREA", star, "BOSNIA" and ends with a star. Along the bottom edge it says "PANAMA", star, "PERU", star, "VENEZUELA". The coin has a plain and smooth background, and a plain smooth raised edge.

Metal Unknown metal, khaki color. Weight Unknown. Size and Shape Round, 45 mm in diameter.
Dates Issued Sometime between 1999 and 2001.
Issuer Airborne Reconnaissance Low (ARL) and AVTEL Services, Inc.
Mintage Unknown.
Rarity Scarce. Manufacturer Unknown. Source Plowman collection.
Varieties None known.
Historical Note The Airborne Reconnaissance Low (ARL) is a day or night, all weather reconnaissance intelligence aircraft developed and fielded by the Army. The system was developed to meet U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) requirements for a manned aviation platform that could provide certain intelligence collection capabilities. The design requirements submitted stated that Airborne Reconnaissance Low should support nation-building, counternarcotics, and promote-democracy missions. ARL was authorized by Congress in 1990 and the first production aircraft was delivered in 1993. Delta Company of the 204th Military Intelligence Battalion (Airborne Reconnaissance Low) was formally activated January 1, 1993, at Howard Air Force Base, Panama. Delta Company moved to Fort Bliss, Texas, in Summer 1999 as American forces left Panama under the provisions of the 1977 Panama Canal Treaty. Avtel Services Inc., of Mojave, California was awarded a contract to provide life cycle contractor support for the ARL program. The contract runs from 1999 to 2004.