Veterans of Foreign Wars
Department of Texas

VFW Eligibility Criteria

You may be eligible for membership in the VFW if your military service record indicates you served in any of the U.S. military campaigns and operations specified below.

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CAMPAIGN MEDAL
Branch of Service
Period Awarded Medal

Expeditionary

Navy/Marine Corps

12 Feb 1874

-

Open

         

Spanish Campaign

Army

11 May 1898

-

16 Aug 1898

 

Navy

20 Apr 1898

-

10 Dec 1898

Army of Cuban Occupation

Army

18 Jul 1898

-

20 May 1902

         

Army of Puerto Rican Occupation

Army

14 Aug 1898

-

10 Dec 1898

         

Philippine Campaign

Army

04 Feb 1899

-

31Dec 1913

 

Navy

04 Feb 1899

-

15 Sep 1906

         

China Relief Expedition

Navy

05 Apr 1900

-

27 May 1901

 

Army

20 Jun 1900

-

27 May 1901

         

Cuban Pacification

Navy

12 Sep 1906

-

01 Apr 1909

 

Army

06 Oct 1906

-

01 Apr 1909

Mexican Service

Army

12 Apr 1911

-

16 Jun 1919

 

Navy

12 Apr 1914

-

07 Feb 1917

         

First Nicaraguan Campaign

Navy

29 Jul 1912

-

14 Nov 1912

         

Haitian Campaign

Navy

09 Jul 1915

-

06 Dec 1915

   

01 Apr 1919

-

15 Jun 1920

         

Dominican Campaign

Navy

04 May 1916

-

05 Dec 1916

         

World War I Victory

Army

06 Apr 1917

-

01Apr 1920

(with Battle or Service clasp

Navy

06 Apr 1917

-

30 Mar 1920

Siberia and European Russia)

       
         

Army of Occupation of Germany

Army

12 Nov 1918

-

11 Jul 1923

         

Second Nicaraguan Campaign

Navy

27 Aug 1926

-

02 Jan 1933

         

Yangtze Service

Navy

03 Sep 1926

-

21 Oct 1927

   

01 Mar 1930

-

31 Dec 1932

         

China Service

Navy

07 Jul 1937

-

04 Sep 1939

   

02 Sep 1945

-

01 Apr 1957

         

American Defense Service

Army-Navy

08 Sep 1939

-

07 Dec 1941

(with Foreign Service clasp)

       
         

European-African-

Army-Navy

07 Dec 1941

-

08 Nov 1945

Middle Eastern Campaign

       
         

American Campaign

Army-Navy

07 Dec 1941

-

02 Mar 1946

(30 consecutive days or 60 days non-

       

consecutive duty outside continental USA)

       
         

Asiatic-Pacific Campaign

Army-Navy

07 Dec 1941

-

02 Mar 1946

         

Army of Occupation

Italy

09 May 1945

-

15 Sep 1947

(30 consecutive days)

       
 

Germany (except West Berlin)

09 May 1945

-

15 May 1955

         
 

Korea

03 Sep 1945

-

29 Jun 1949

         
 

Japan

03 Sep 1945

-

27 Apr 1952

         
 

Austria

09 May 1945

-

27 Jul 1955

         
 

Germany (West Berlin)

09 May 1945

-

02 Oct 1990

         

Navy Occupation Service Medal

Italy

08 May 1945

-

15 Dec 1947

         
 

Trieste

08 May 1945

-

26 Oct 1954

         
 

Germany (except West Berlin

08 May 1945

-

05 May 1955

         
 

Austria

08 May 1945

-

25 Oct 1955

         
 

Asiatic Pacific

02 Sep 1945

-

27 Apr 1952

         

Korean Service Medal

Army-Navy-Air Force

27 Jun 1950

-

27 Jul 1954

         

Navy & Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal

       
 

Cuban Military Operation

03 Jan 1961

-

23 Oct 1962

         
 

Thailand Military Operation

16 May 1962

-

10 Aug 1962

         
 

Iranian, Yemen & Indian Ocean Operation

03 Dec 1978

-

06 Jun 1979

   

21 Nov 1979

-

20 Oct 1981

         
 

Lebanon

20 Aug 1982

-

31 May 1983

         
 

Libyan Expedition

20 Jan 1986

-

27 Jun 1986

         
 

Persain Gulf

01 Feb 1987

-

23 Jul 1987

         
 

Panama (pre and post invasion)

01 Apr 1988

-

19 Dec 1989

   

01 Feb 1990

-

13 Jun 1990

         
 

Operation Sharp Edge - Liberia

05 Aug 1990

-

21 Feb 1991

         
 

Operation Distant Runner - Rwanda

07 Apr 1994

-

18 Apr 1994

 

(11th Marine Exped. Unit USS Peleliu)

     
         

Vietnam Service Medal

 

04 July 1965

-

28 May 1973

         

Campaign Medal/Military Service
Period Which Award Eligible

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

     

(30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days of duty)

     

Lebanon

01 Jul 1958

-

01 Nov 1958

Quemoy & Matsu Island

23 Aug 1958

-

01 Jun 1963

       

Taiwan Straits

23 Aug 1958

-

01 Jan 1959

       

Vietnam

01 Jul 1958

-

03 Jul 1965

       

Congo

14 Jul 1960

-

01 Sep 1962

       

Laos

19 Apr 1961

-

07 Oct 1962

       

Berlin

14 Aug 1961

-

07 Oct 1963

       

Cuba

24 Oct 1962

-

01 Jun 1963

       

Congo

23 Nov 1964

-

27 Nov 1964

       

Dominican Republic

23 Apr 1965

-

21 Sep 1966

       

Korea

01 Oct 1966

-

30 Jun 1974

       

Cambodia

29 Mar 1973

-

15 Aug 1973

       

Thailand

29 Mar 1973

-

15 Aug 1973

(only direct support of Cambodia)

     
       

Operation Eagle Pull

11 Apr 1975

-

13 Apr 1975

(Cambodia Evacuation)

     
       

Operation Frequent Wind (Vietnam Evacuation)

29 Apr 1975

-

30 Apr 1975

       

Mayaguez Operation

15 May 1975

   
       

El Salvador

01 Jan 1981

-

01 Feb 1992

       

Lebanon

01 Jun 1983

-

01 Dec 1987

       

Operation Urgent Fury - Grenada

23 Oct 1983

-

21 Nov 1983

       

Eldorado Canyon - Libya

12 Apr 1986

-

17 Apr 1986

       

Operation Ernest Will -Persian Gulf

24 Jul 1987

-

02 Aug 1990

(only those participating or in direct support)

     
       

Operation Just Cause - Panama

20 Dec 1989

-

31 Jan 1990

(USS Vreeland & other SVS -

     

designated Aircrew mbrs. outside the

     

CONUS or in direct support)

     
       

United Shield - Somalia

05 Dec 1992

-

31 Mar 1995

       

Operation Restore Hope-Somalia

05 Dec 1992

-

31 Mar 1995

       

Operation Uphold Democracy-Haiti

16 Sep 1994

-

31 Mar 1995

       

Operation Joint Endevor - Bosnia,

20 Nov 1995

-

19 Dec 1996

Croatia, the Adriatic Sea & airspace.

     
       

Operation Vigilant Sentinel -

01 Dec 1995

-

01 Sep 1997

Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait & Persian Gulf

     
       

Operation Southern Watch

01 Dec 1995

-

TBD

Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Red Sea,

     

Persian Gulf, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman,

     

Gulf of Oman W of 62 long.,Yemen, Egypt, & Jordan

     
       

Operation Maritime Intercept -

01 Dec 1995

-

TBD

Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Red Sea,

     

Persian Gulf, Qatar, UAE, Oman,

     

Gulf of Oman W of 62 long.,Yemen, Egypt, & Jordan

     
       

Operation Joint Guard -

20 Dec 1996

-

20 Jan 1998

Bosnia, Croatia, Adriatic Sea & airspace

     
       

Operation Northern Watch -

01 Jan 1997

-

TBD

Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait,

     

Persian Gulf W of 56 E Long, and

     

Incirlik AB, Turkey (only pers. TDY to ONW)

     
       

Operation Joint Forge -

21 Jun 1998

-

31 Dec 2000

Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Adriatic Sea & airspace

     
       

Operation Desert Thunder -

11 Nov 1998

-

22 Dec 1998

Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Pahrain, Qatar, UAE,

     

Oman, Yemen, Egypt, Jordan, Persian Gulf,

     

Gulf of Oman, Red Sea Support.

     
       

Operation Desert Fox -

16 Dec 1998

-

22 Dec 1998

Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Pahrian, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Yemen

     

Egypt, Jordan, Persion Gulf, Gulf of Oman, USN Red Sea Support

     
       

Kosovo Campaign Medal

     

Operation Allied Force

24 Mar 1999

-

10 Jun 1999

Kosovo Air Campaign

     
       

Kosovo Defense Campaign

11 Jun 1999

-

OPEN

Ground Action

 

 

 

       

Southwest Asia Service Medal

     

Operation Desert Shield / Operation Desert Storm

02 Aug 1990

-

30 Nov 1995

(Combat areas of operation only)

     

Personnel assigned to support units serving

17 Jan 1991

-

30 Nov 1995

in Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Jordan

     
       

Combat Infantry Badge & Combat Medical Badge

06 Dec 1941

-

OPEN

       

Combat Action Ribbon

01 Mar 1961

-

OPEN

     

Korea Duty **

     

Service on the Korean Peninsula or in its

30 Jun 1949

-

26 Jun 1950

territorial waters for thirty (30) consecutive

28 Jul 1954

-

30 Sep 1966

days or sixty (60) non-consecutive days from

1 July 1974

-

OPEN

** Periods not covered by a campaign medal

     
       

Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal

11 Sep 2001

-

OPEN

Afghanistan Campaign Medal

24 Oct 2001

-

OPEN

Iraq Campaign Medal

19 Mar 2003

-

OPEN

Air Force Expeditionary Medal (with Gold Border)

19 Mar 2003

-

OPEN

       

Hostile Fire or Imminent Danger Pay

 

 

 

       

This information is to be used for guideline purposes only. The separation document or DD 214 must reflect campaign medal service to establish eligibility. Service in Korea without the issuance of a campaign medal can be established with additional, support documentation.

     


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