Membership

Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States

Eligibility Requirements

VFW membership is available to all U.S. Citizens, honorably discharged from the U.S. armed forces and who have earned an overseas campaign medal as indicated from the following chart:

Campaign Medal

Expeditionary

Spanish Campaign

Military Service

Navy

Marine Corps

Army

Navy

Army

Navy

Army

Navy

Army

Navy

Army

Navy

Army

Navy

Army

Navy

Army-Navy

Italy

Germany (except West Berlin)

Germany (West Berlin)

Austria

Korea

Japan

Italy

Trieste

Germany (except West Berlin)

Austria

Asiatic Pacific

Army, Navy, Air Force

Berlin

Lebanon

Quemoy & Matsu Island

Taiwan Straits

Congo

Laos

Vietnam

Cuba

Dominican Republic

Korea

Cambodia

Thailand (in direct support of Cambodia Operation)

Operation Eagle Pull-Evacuation of Cambodia

Operation Frequent Wind-Evacuation of Vietnam

Mayaguez Operation

Operation Urgent Fury-Grenada

Lebanon

Libyan Operation- El Dorado Canyon

Persian Gulf-Operation Earnest Will

Panama-Operation Just Cause

Somalia-United Shield-Operation Restore Hope

Haiti-Operation Uphold Democracy

Operation Southern Watch

(Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Gulf of Oman W of 62" E Long, Yeman, Egypt, Jordan

El Salvador

Bosnia-Operation Joint Endeavor (Bosnia, Croatia, the Adriatic Sea & airspace)

Operation Joint Guard (Bosnia, Croatia, Adriatic Sea & airspace)

Operation Vigilant Sentinel (Persian Gulf, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait)

Operation Northern Watch (Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Persian Gulf W of 56" E Long., and Incirlik AB, Turkey (only pers. TDY to ONW)

Operation Maritime Intercept operations (Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman W of 62" E Long, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Yemen, Egypt, Jordan)

Operation Joint Forge - (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Adriatic Sea & airspace)

Operation Desert Thunder (Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Persian Gulf, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Yemen, Egypt, Jordan, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea support

Operation Desert Fox (Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Persian Gulf, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Gulf of Oman, USF Red Sea support

Thailand Military Operation

Cuban Military Operation

Iranian, Yemen & Indian Ocean Operation

Lebanon

Libyan Expedition

Persian Gulf

Panama - (pre and post invasion)

Liberia (Operation Sharp Edge)

Rwanda (Operation Distant Runner) (11th Marine Expeditionary Unit USS Peleliu)

(Operation Desert Shield/Operation Desert Storm) Combat areas of operation only

Personnel assigned to support units serving in Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Jordan

Service on the Korean Peninsula, or in its territorial waters for thirty (30), consecutive or sixty (60) nonconsecutive days.

Allied Force

Joint Guardian

Allied Harbour

Sustain Hope

Shining Hope

Noble Anvil

Kosovo Task Force Hawk

Kosovo Task Force Saber

Kosovo Task Force Falcon

Kosovo Task Force Hunter

Kosovo Air Campaign

Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Greece, Bulgaria, Italy, Slovenia, Adriatic & Ionian Seas

Kosovo Defense Campaign

Serbia, Montenegro, Albania,

Macedonia, Adriatic Seas

Hostile Fire or Imminent Danger Pay

Period During Which Issued

12 Feb 1874 - indeterminate

11 May 1898 -

16 Aug 1898

20 Apr 1898 -

10 Dec 1898

18 Jul 1898 -

20 May 1902

14 Aug 1898 -

10 Dec 1898

04 Feb 1899 -

31 Dec 1913

04 Feb 1899 -

15 Sep 1906

20 Jun 1900 -

27 May 1901

05 Apr 1900 -

27 May 1901

06 Oct 1906 -

01 Apr 1909

12 Sep 1906 -

01 Apr 1909

12 Apr 1911 -

16 June 1919

12 Apr 1914 -

07 Feb 1917

29 Jul 1912 -

14 Nov 1912

09 Jul 1915 -

06 Dec 1915.

01 Apr 1919 -

15 Jun 1920.

04 May 1916 -

05 Dec 1916

06 Apr 1917 -

01 Apr 1920

06 Apr 1917 -

30 Mar 1920

12 Nov 1918 -

11 Jul 1923

27 Aug 1926 -

02 Jan 1933

03 Sep 1926 -

21 Oct 1927.

01 Mar 1930 -

31 Dec 1932..

07 Jul 1937 -

07 Sep 1939.

02 Sep 1945 -

01 Apr 1957.

08 Sep 1939 -

07 Dec 1941

07 Dec 1941 -

02 Mar 1946

07 Dec 1941 -

02 Mar 1946

07 Dec 1941 -

08 Nov 1945

09 May 1945 -

15 Sep 1947

09 May 1945 -

05 May 1955

09 May 1945 -

02 Oct. 1990

09 May 1945 -

27 Jul 1955

03 Sep 1945 -

29 Jun 1949

03 Sep 1945 -

27 Apr 1952

08 May 1945 -

15 Dec 1947

08 May 1945 -

26 Oct 1954

08 May 1945 -

05 May 1955

08 May 1945 -

25 Oct 1955

02 Sep 1945 -

27 Apr 1952

27 Jun 1950 -

27 Jul 1954

14 Aug 1961 -

01 Jun 1963

01 Jul 1958 -

01 Nov 1958

23 Aug 1958 -

01 June 1963

23 Aug 1958 -

01 Jan. 1959

14 Jul 1960 -

01 Sep 1962.

23-27 Nov 1964.

19 Apr 1961 -

07 Oct 1962

01 Jul 1958 -

03 Jul 1965

24 Oct 1962 -

01 Jun 1963

28 Apr 1965 -

21 Sep 1966

01 Oct 1966 -

30 Jun 1974

29 Mar 1973 -

15 Aug 1973

29 Mar 1973 -

15 Aug 1973

11-13 Apr 1975

29-30 Apr 1975

15 May 1975

23 Oct 1983 -

21 Nov 1983

01 Jun 1983 -

01 Dec 1987

12-17 Apr 1986

24 July 1987 -

02 Aug. 1990

20 Dec 1989 -

31 Jan 1990

05 Dec 1992 -

31 Mar 1995

16 Sep 1994 -

31 Mar 1995

01 Dec 1995 -

Indeterminate

01 Jan 1981 -

01 Feb 1992

20 Nov 1995 -

20 Dec 1996

20 Dec 1996 -

20 Jun 1998

01 Dec 1995 -

01 Sep 1997

01 Jan 1997 -

Indeterminate

01 Dec 1995 -

Indeterminate

21 Jun. 1998 -

31 Dec 2000

11 Nov 1998 -

22 Dec 1998

16 Dec 1998 -

22 Dec 1998

16 May 1962 -

10 Aug 1962

03 Jan 1961 -

23 Oct 1962

08 Dec 1978 -

06 Jun 1979.

21 Nov 1979 -

20 Oct 1981.

20 Aug 1982 -

31 May 1983

20 Jan 1986 -

27 Jun 1986

01 Feb 1987 -

23 Jul 1987

01 Apr 1988 -

19 Dec 1989.

01 Feb 1990 -

13 Jun 1990.

05 Aug 1990 -

21 Feb 1991

07-18 Apr 1994

04 Jul 1965 -

28 Mar 1973

02 Aug 1990 -

30 Nov 1995

17 Jan. 1991 -

11 Apr 1991.

30 Nov 1995.

01 Mar 1961 -

Indeterminate

06 Dec 1941 -

Indeterminate

30 Jun 1949 -

26 Jun 1950.

28 Jul 1954-

20 Sep 1966.

01 Jul 1974 - Open

24 Mar 1999 -

10 Jun 1999

11 Jun 1999 -

indeterminate

04 Apr 1999 -

01 Sep 1999

04 Apr 1999 -

10 Jul 1999

24 Mar 1999 -

20 Jul 1999

05 Apr 1999 -

24 Jun 1999

31 Mar 1999 -

08 Jul 1999

11 Jun 1999 -

indeterminate

01 Apr 1999 -

01 Nov 1999

24 Mar 1999 -

10 Jun 1999

11 Jun 1999 -

indeterminate

Click for details on Hostile Fire or Imminent Danger Pay

Army of Cuban Occupation

Army of Puerto Rican Occupation

Philippine Campaign

China Campaign

China Relief Expedition

Army of Cuban Pacification

Cuban Pacification

Mexican Service

First Nicaraguan Campaign

Haitian Campaign

Dominican Campaign

World War I Victory

(with Battle or Service Clasp including Siberia and European Russia)

Army of Occupation of Germany

Second Nicaraguan Campaign

Yangtze Service

China Service

American Defense Service

(with Foreign Service Clasp)

American Campaign

(30 consecutive days or 60 days non-consecutive duty outside continental limits of the United States)

Asiatic-Pacific Campaign

European-African Middle Eastern Campaign

Army of Occupation

30 consecutive days

Navy Occupation Service Medal

Korean Service Medal

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

30 consec. or 60 non-consec. days of duty

Navy & Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal

Vietnam Service Medal

Southwest Asia Service Medal

Combat Action Ribbon

Combat Infantry Badge & Combat Medical Badge

Korean Service (no campaign medal issued)

Kosovo Campaign Medal