Eligibility Requirements

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Eligibility Requirements

There are two qualifiers for membership in the VFW, as set out in our National Bylaws. An individual must meet both in order to become a member. They are as follows:

1: Honorable Service – must have served in the Armed Forces of the United States and either received a discharge of Honorable or General (Under Honorable Conditions) or be currently
serving.

2: Service in a war, campaign, or expedition on foreign soil or in hostile waters*. This can be proven by any of the following:

– An authorized campaign medal (see a full list of qualifying medals and badges)
– Receipt of Hostile Fire Pay or Imminent Danger Pay (verified by a military pay statement)
– Service in Korea for 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days

Dates Awarded: 1937-1939, 1945-1957

China Service Medal –

Dates Awarded: 1937-1939, 1945-1957

American Defense Service Medal –

First awarded September 8, 1939 (retroactive)
Last awarded December 7, 1941 (retroactive)

European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal –

First awarded December 7, 1941
Last awarded March 2, 1946

American Campaign Medal –

Name of campaign Start Date End Date

Convoy ON 67 21 February 1942 26 February 1942

USS Atik (AK-101) 27 March 1942 27 March 1942
(antisubmarine operations)

USS Asterion (AK-100) 22 March 1942 31 January 1943
(antisubmarine operations)

Task Group 21.13 12 July 1942 28 August 1942

Convoy TAG 18 1 November 1942 6 November 1942

Convoy SC 107 3 November 1942 8 November 1942

Task Group 21.14 27 July 1943 10 September 1943

Task Group 21.15 24 March 1944 11 May 1944

USS Frederick C. Davis (DE-136) 24 April 1945 24 April 1945

USS Atherton (DE-169) and USS Moberly (PF-63) 6 May 1945 6 May 1945

Army of Occupation Medal –

Established 5 April 1946 ^[2]
First awarded 2 April 1947^[2]

Last awarded 2 October 1990

Navy Occupation Service Medal –

Established January 22, 1947^[1]

First awarded May 8, 1945

Last awarded October 3, 1990

Korean Service Medal –

Established EO 10179, November 8, 1950, as amended^[1]

First awarded 1950 (retroactive to June 27, 1950)

Last awarded July 27, 1954

Navy Expeditionary Medal –

Established August 5, 1936

First awarded 12 Feb 1874 (Retroactive) (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands)

Last awarded 15 Dec 2002^[2]

Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal –

Established 8 May 1919

First awarded Panama 1873 (retroactive)

Status Currently Awarded

Vietnam Service Medal –

Status Obsolete
Established 8 July 1965 – Executive Order 11231
28 November 1967 – Amended, E.O. 11382
2 February 2003 – Amended, E.O. 13286
First awarded 4 July 1965
Retroactive to 1 July 1958
Last awarded 30 April 1975

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal –

Status Currently awarded
Established Executive Order 10977, December 4, 1961

Southwest Asia Service Medal –

Status Not currently awarded

Established EO 12754, March 12, 1991, as amended

First awarded 1991 (retroactive to either August 2, 1990 or January 17, 1991 depending on location)
Last awarded November 30, 1995; 26 years ago

Kosovo Campaign Medal –

Operation(s) / Task Force From To
ALLIED FORCE 24 March 1999 10 June 1999

NOBLE ANVIL 24 March 1999 20 June 1999

Task Force Saber 31 March 1999 8 July 1999

Task Force Hunter 1 April 1999 1 November 1999

SUSTAIN HOPE / SHINING HOPE 4 April 1999 10 July 1999

ALLIED HARBOUR 4 April 1999 1 September 1999

Task Force Hawk 5 April 1999 24 June 1999

JOINT GUARDIAN (note 1) 11 June 1999 31 December 2013

Task Force Falcon 11 June 1999 31 December 2013

Note 1: Effective January 1, 2014, award of the KCM for Operation JOINT
GUARDIAN transitioned to award of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.

Status Not currently awarded

Combat Infantryman Badge –

Status Currently awarded^[1]

Established November 15, 1943

Total World War II to El Salvador: Unknown
Salvadoran Civil War: 69
Invasion of Grenada: 3,534
Invasion of Panama: 8,031
Persian Gulf War: 21,877
Somali Civil War: 1,280
Iraq War: 41,628
War in Afghanistan: 36,518
Inherent Resolve: 30^[2][3]

Combat Medical Badge –

Established: January 1945

First awarded: December 06, 1941 (retroactive)

Last awarded: Ongoing

Combat Action Ribbon –

Status Current issue
Established Navy Combat Action Ribbon (U.S. Department of the Navy): February 17, 1969
Coast Guard Combat Action Ribbon (U.S. Department of Homeland Security): July 16, 2008
First awarded Navy Combat Action Ribbon: 1969 (retroactive to March 1961)

Air Force Combat Action Medal –

Eligibility Airmen and guardians in the grades of E-1 through O-6

Status Currently awarded

Established 15 March 2007

First awarded 12 June 2007 (retroactive to 11 September 2001)

Combat Action Badge –

Status Currently awarded

Established May 2, 2005

First awarded June 29, 2005 (retroactive to September 18, 2001)

Last awarded Ongoing

Total recipients 68,686 in OIF (as of June 26, 2012)
37,914 in OEF (as of June 26, 2012)
3,828 in OND (as of June 26, 2012)
30 OIR (as of February 12, 2018)^[1]