Description

Brand New! United States Secret Service Counter Sniper Team Challenge Coin High Quality Vintage Gold Plated Finish Challenge Coin You will receive one Challenge Coin. Photo depicts front and rear of coin. Fast shipping from USA...High Quality items. 40mm with protective PVC Sleeve. USPS First Class Shipping with Tracking. Ships within 24 hours from ordering. Perfect gift! The Counter Assault Team (CAT) is a specialized tactical unit of the U.S. Secret Service that provides tactical support to the Presidential Protective Division to protect the President of the United States.[1][2] This is in contrast to the Presidential Protective Division whose mission is to shield the president from an attack and to evacuate the president to a place of safety. The CAT can also provide tactical support to other designated protectees, at venues and National Special Security Events.[1][2] The Secret Service first began fielding counter assault teams in 1979. "Hawkeye" is the designation for a CAT assigned to the president, followed by the president's Secret Service code name. For example, the code name for President Obama's CAT was "Hawkeye Renegade". Prior to 1979, Secret Service vehicle convoys for VIPs in high-risk situations included a large sedan known as the "muscle car" in which five or six Secret Service special agents armed with sub-machine guns rode. The "muscle car" team was an ad hoc contingent drawn from special agents working at a local Secret Service office, as opposed to those regularly assigned to protective duties. They were instructed, in the event of an attack against the convoy, to lay-down a barrage of suppressive fire against the source of the attack so as to allow the dignitary's vehicle the opportunity to escape without being pursued or blockaded.[4][5][6] In 1979 the Secret Service formalized the counter-assault team program with permanently assigned, specially trained operators