Last week, Scott Pegan, a professor of biomedical sciences in the UCR School of Medicine and a U.S. Army Reserve Lieutenant Colonel, received his latest challenge coin. In the military, challenge coins are medallions given as a token of recognition and appreciation. Standing in place of medals and ribbons for on-the-spot recognition, they honor service and are a mark of excellence.

Pegan received the challenge coin in Riverside from U.S. Rep. Norma J. Torres. In his 30 years in the military, Pegan has been given 14 challenge coins. The first, which he received in 1997 at the Kwajalein Atoll, has been lost.

“Somewhere along the line, it simply disappeared,” he said. 

Pegan got his second challenge coin from the UC Santa Barbara’s Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), home of the Surfrider Battalion where he initially trained. Several other coins came from his tour in Iraq and excellence in service abroad. The latest coin came about when Congresswoman Torres invited Pegan and other guests to her town hall meeting on the delivery of Medicaid and Medicare.

At the town hall, Pegan shared information about Medicaid and Medicare’s impact on veterans. Medicare is a health insurance program for the elderly. Medicaid is a health insurance program for people with limited income.

“Medicaid was initially introduced to improve the nation’s health for military service eligibility,” Pegan said. “Medicaid aimed to address health issues in children to increase the number of citizens eligible for defense of the United States. Today, this includes around 220,000 children of active-duty personnel and 3.4 million children of veterans being able to access Medicaid.”

In his office, Pegan also keeps a black Stetson hat, featuring a black and gold cord. 

“As a former trooper with the 1st Cavalry Division while in Bagdad, Iraq, I was granted the privilege of wearing a Cav hat, also known as a Stetson,” he said. “The Stetson highlights both the rank of the wearer and their branch specialty. The latter in my case is the Medical Service Corps. Since I serve as an officer, mine also sports black and gold hat cords.”

Pegan would like his challenge coin collection to be complete and is still on the hunt for the lost coin. 

“Every time I see a box I haven’t opened in years, I think maybe that elusive coin is in there,” he said.