VFW Post 7392 Membership

The fundamental difference between our Organization and other veteran organizations, and one in which we take great pride, is our eligibility qualifications. There are three requisites for membership in the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States: (1) Citizenship; (2) Honorable service in the Armed Forces of the United States; (3) Service entitling the applicant to the award of a recognized campaign medal or as set forth in the Congressional Charter and/or By-Laws.

Checking Eligibility: Checking eligibility is comparatively simple. Assuming that a person is a United States citizen and has an honorable discharge from the U.S. Armed Forces, it only remains to be proven that the person served outside the continental limits of the U.S. and has earned a campaign or service medal recognized by the VFW as meeting the campaign medal requisite for VFW Membership. (The only exception is for service in Korea after June 30, 1949, until present.)

Discharges issued during and immediately after the close of World War II have a section on the back listing the medals and decorations which have been earned. Persons discharged later received a DD-214, "Report of Separation" form, which has a space showing medals and decorations. Lost separation documents can be replaced by completing and submitting GSA Standard Form 180, "Request Pertaining to Military Records."

There is always a possibility of an omission on the separation documents. If an applicant claims entitlement to a medal which is not shown on the individual's separation papers, that person may request verification and correction of records by submitting a GSA Standard Form 180.

The GSA Standard Form 180 is available from any office of the Veterans Administration or state Veterans Departments. The form must be completed and signed by the veteran in order to receive the information requested or authorize the release of the information to the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Eligibility Regulations: VFW eligibility listing is to be used as a guide in determining eligibility for membership, and is furnished as a matter of information concerning the periods during which campaign and/or service medals were authorized.

The following campaign medals, and the periods for which issued, have been authorized by the United States of America, and the holder of any such medal or medals is recognized as possessing the campaign medal requisite of eligibility.

Eligibility Listing

Click here for printable copy of eligibility listings.

Campaign Medal	Military Service	Period During Which Issued
Expeditionary	Navy Marine Corps	12 Feb. 1874 Indeterminate
Spanish Campaign	Army	11 May 1898 16 Aug. 1898
	Navy	20 Apr. 1898 10 Dec. 1898
Army of Cuban Occupation	Army	18 July 1898 20 May 1902
Army of Puerto Rico Occupation	Army	14 Aug. 1898 10 Dec. 1898
Philippine Campaign	Army	04 Feb. 1899 31 Dec. 1913
	Navy	04 Feb.1899 15 Sept. 1906
China Relief Expedition	Army	20 June 1900 27 May 1901
	Navy	05 Apr. 1900 27 May 1901
Cuban Pacification	Army	06 Oct. 1906 01 Apr. 1909
Cuban	Navy	12 Sept. 1906 01 Apr. 1909
Mexican Service	Army	12 Apr. 1911 16 June 1919
	Navy	12 Apr. 1914 07 Feb. 1917
First Nicaraguan Campaign	Navy	29 July 1912 14 Nov. 1912
Haitian Campaign	Navy	09 July 1915 06 Dec. 1915 01 Apr. 1919 15 June 1920
Dominican Campaign	Navy	04 May 1916 05 Dec. 1916
World War I Victory (with Battle or Service Clasp including Siberia and European Russia)	Army	06 Apr. 1917 01 Apr. 1920
	Navy	06 Apr. 1917 30 Mar. 1920
Army of Occupation of Germany	Army	12 Nov. 1918 11 July 1923
Second Nicaraguan Campaign	Navy	27 Aug. 1926 02 Jan. 1933
Yangtze Service	Navy	03 Sept. 1926 21 Oct. 1927 01 Mar. 1930 31 Dec. 1932
China Service	Navy	07 July 1937 07 Sept. 1939 02 Sept. 1945 01 Apr. 1957
American Defense Service (with Foreign Service Clasp)	Army-Navy	08 Sept. 1939 07 Dec. 1941
American Campaign (30 consecutive days or 60 days non-consecutive days of duty outside continental limits of the United States	Army-Navy	07 Dec. 1941 02 Mar. 1946
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign	Army-Navy	07 Dec. 1941 02 Mar. 1946
European-African- Middle Eastern Campaign	Army-Navy	07 Dec. 1941 08 Nov. 1945
Army of Occupation 30 consecutive days of duty	Italy	09 May 1945 15 Sept. 1947
	Germany (except West Berlin)	09 May 1945 05 May 1955
	Germany (West Berlin)	09 May 1945 02 Oct. 1990
	Austria	09 May 1945 27 July 1955
	Korea	03 Sept. 1945 29 June 1949
	Japan	03 Sept. 1945 27 Apr. 1952
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 Sept. 1945 27 Apr. 1952
Korean Service Medal	Army, Navy, Air Force	27 June 1950 27 July 1954
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal 30 consec. or 60 non-consec. days of duty	Lebanon	01 July 1958 01 Nov. 1958
	Taiwan Straits	23 Aug. 1958 01 Jan. 1959
	Quemoy & Matsu Island	23 Aug. 1958 01 June 1963
	Vietnam	01 July 1958 03 July 1965
	Congo	14 July 1960 01 Sept. 1962 23-27 Nov. 1964
	Laos	19 Apr. 1961 07 Oct. 1962
	Berlin	14 Aug. 1961 01 June 1963
	Cuba	24 Oct. 1962 01 June 1963
	Dominican Republic	28 Apr. 1965 21 Sept. 1966
	Korea	01 Oct. 1966 30 June 1974
	Cambodia	29 Mar. 1973 15 Aug. 1973
	Thailand (in direct support of Cambodia)	29 Mar. 1973 15 Aug. 1973
	Operation Eagle Pull-Cambodia (includes evacuation)	11-13 Apr. 1975
	Operation Frequent Wind-Vietnam (includes evacuation)	29-30 Apr. 1975
	Mayaguez Operation	15 May 1975
	El Salvador	01 Jan. 1981 01 Feb. 1992
	Lebanon	01 June 1983 01 Dec. 1987
	Operation Urgent Fury - Grenada	23 Oct. 1983 21 Nov. 1983
	El Dorado Canyon-Libya	12-17 Apr. 1986
	Persian Gulf-Operation Earnest Will (only those participating in, or in direct support)	24 July 1987 02 Aug. 1990
	Panama-Operation Just Cause (USS Vreeland & other SVS-designated aircrew mbrs. outside the Conus in direct suppport)	20 Dec. 1989 31 Jan. 1990
	Somalia-United Shield-Operation Restore Hope	05 Dec. 1992 31 Mar. 1995
	Haiti-Operation Uphold Democracy	16 Sept. 1994 31 Mar. 1995
	Bosnia-Operation Joint Endeavor(Bosnia, Croatia, the Adriatic Sea & airspace)	20 Nov. 1995 20 Dec. 1996
	Operation Vigilant Sentinel (Persian Gulf, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait)	01 Dec. 1995 1 Sept., 1997
	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	01 Dec. 1995 Indeterminate
	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)	01 Dec. 1995 Indeterminate
	Operation Joint Guard (Bosnia, Croatia, Adriatic Sea & airspace)	20 Dec. 1996 June 20, 1998
	El Salvador	01 Jan. 1981 01 Feb. 1992
	Operation Joint Guard (Bosnia, Croatia, Adriatic Sea & airspace)	20 Dec. 1996 June 20, 1998
	Operation Northern Watch (Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Persian Gulf W of 56" E Long., and Incirlik AB, Turkey (only pers. TDY to ONW)	01 Jan. 1997 Indeterminate
	Operation Joint Forge - (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Adriatic Sea & airspace)	21 Jun. 1998 Indeterminate
	Operation Desert Thunder (Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Persian Gulf, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Yemen, Egypt, Jordan, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea support	11 Nov. 1998 22 Dec. 1998
	Operation Desert Fox (Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Persian Gulf, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Yemen, Egypt, Jordan, Gulf of Oman, USF Red Sea support	16 Dec. 1998 22 Dec. 1998
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	08 Dec. 1978 06 June 1979 21 Nov. 1979 20 Oct. 1981
	Lebanon	20 Aug. 1982 31 May 1983
	Libyan Expedition	20 Jan. 1986 27 June 1986
	Persian Gulf	01 Feb. 1987 23 July 1987
	Panama - (pre and post invasion)	01 Apr. 1988 19 Dec. 1989 01 Feb. 1990 13 June 1990
	Liberia(Operation Sharp Edge)	05 Aug. 1990 21 Feb. 1991
	Rwanda (Operation Distant Runner) (11th Marine Expeditionary Unit USS Peleliu)	07-18 Apr. 1994
Vietnam Service Medal		04 July 1965 28 Mar. 1973
Southwest Asia Service Medal	Operation Desert Shield/ Operation Desert Storm Combat areas of operation only	02 Aug. 1990 30 Nov. 1995
	Personnel assigned to support units serving in Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Jordan	17 Jan. 1991 -Apr. 11, 1991
Combat Action Ribbon	Navy, Marine, Coast Guard	01 Mar. 1961 Indeterminate
Combat Infantry Badge & Combat Medical Badge	Army	06 Dec. 1941 Indeterminate
Korea Duty	Service on the Korean Peninsula, or in its territorial waters for thirty (30)/consecutive or sixty (60)nonconsecutive days.	30 June 1949 Open
Kosovo Campaign Medal (KCM)	Operation Allied Force Kosovo Air Campaign	24 Mar. 1999 10 June 1999.
	Kosovo Defense Campaign- Ground Action	11 June 1999 TBD
Hostile Fire or Imminent Danger Pay	Click for details on Hostile Fire or Imminent Danger Pay

The 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. Hostile Fire or Imminent Danger Pay can be established with pay records.

Navy
Marine Corps

12 Feb. 1874
Indeterminate

Army

11 May 1898
16 Aug. 1898

Navy

20 Apr. 1898
10 Dec. 1898

Army

18 July 1898
20 May 1902

Army

14 Aug. 1898
10 Dec. 1898

Army

04 Feb. 1899
31 Dec. 1913

Navy

04 Feb.1899
15 Sept. 1906

Army

20 June 1900
27 May 1901

Navy

05 Apr. 1900
27 May 1901

Army

06 Oct. 1906
01 Apr. 1909

Navy

12 Sept. 1906
01 Apr. 1909

Army

12 Apr. 1911
16 June 1919

Navy

12 Apr. 1914
07 Feb. 1917

Navy

29 July 1912
14 Nov. 1912

Navy

09 July 1915
06 Dec. 1915
01 Apr. 1919
15 June 1920

Navy

04 May 1916
05 Dec. 1916

Army

06 Apr. 1917
01 Apr. 1920

Navy

06 Apr. 1917
30 Mar. 1920

Army

12 Nov. 1918
11 July 1923

Navy

27 Aug. 1926
02 Jan. 1933

Navy

03 Sept. 1926
21 Oct. 1927
01 Mar. 1930
31 Dec. 1932

Navy

07 July 1937
07 Sept. 1939
02 Sept. 1945
01 Apr. 1957

Army-Navy

08 Sept. 1939
07 Dec. 1941

Army-Navy

07 Dec. 1941
02 Mar. 1946

Army-Navy

07 Dec. 1941
02 Mar. 1946

Army-Navy

07 Dec. 1941
08 Nov. 1945

Italy

09 May 1945
15 Sept. 1947

Germany (except West Berlin)

09 May 1945
05 May 1955

Germany (West Berlin)

09 May 1945
02 Oct. 1990

Austria

09 May 1945
27 July 1955

Korea

03 Sept. 1945
29 June 1949

Japan

03 Sept. 1945
27 Apr. 1952

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 Sept. 1945
27 Apr. 1952

Army, Navy, Air Force

27 June 1950
27 July 1954

Berlin

14 Aug. 1961
01 June 1963

Lebanon

01 July 1958
01 Nov. 1958

Quemoy & Matsu Island

23 Aug. 1958
01 June 1963

Taiwan Straits

23 Aug. 1958
01 Jan. 1959

Congo

14 July 1960
01 Sept. 1962
23-27 Nov. 1964

Laos

19 Apr. 1961
07 Oct. 1962

Vietnam

01 July 1958
03 July 1965

Cuba

24 Oct. 1962
01 June 1963

Dominican Republic

28 Apr. 1965
21 Sept. 1966

Korea

01 Oct. 1966
30 June 1974

Cambodia

29 Mar. 1973
15 Aug. 1973

Thailand (in direct support
of Cambodia Operation)

29 Mar. 1973
15 Aug. 1973

Operation Eagle Pull-Evacuation of Cambodia

11-13 Apr. 1975

Operation Frequent Wind-Evacuation of Vietnam

29-30 Apr. 1975

Mayaguez Operation

15 May 1975

Operation Urgent Fury-Grenada

23 Oct. 1983
21 Nov. 1983

Lebanon

01 June 1983
01 Dec. 1987

Libyan Operation-
El Dorado Canyon

12-17 Apr. 1986

Persian Gulf-Operation Earnest Will

24 July 1987
02 Aug. 1990

Panama-Operation Just Cause

20 Dec. 1989
31 Jan. 1990

Somalia-United Shield-Operation Restore Hope

05 Dec. 1992
31 Mar. 1995

Haiti-Operation Uphold Democracy

16 Sept. 1994
31 Mar. 1995

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

01 Dec. 1995
Indeterminate

El Salvador

01 Jan. 1981
01 Feb. 1992

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

20 Nov. 1995
20 Dec. 1996

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

20 Dec. 1996
June 20, 1998

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

01 Dec. 1995
1 Sept., 1997

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

01 Jan. 1997
Indeterminate

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)

01 Dec. 1995
Indeterminate

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

21 Jun. 1998
31 Dec. 2000

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

11 Nov. 1998
22 Dec. 1998

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

16 Dec. 1998
22 Dec. 1998

Thailand Military Operation

16 May 1962
10 Aug. 1962

Cuban Military Operation

03 Jan. 1961
23 Oct. 1962

Iranian, Yemen & Indian Ocean Operation

08 Dec. 1978
06 June 1979
21 Nov. 1979
20 Oct. 1981

Lebanon

20 Aug. 1982
31 May 1983

Libyan Expedition

20 Jan. 1986
27 June 1986

Persian Gulf

01 Feb. 1987
23 July 1987

Panama - (pre and post invasion)

01 Apr. 1988
19 Dec. 1989
01 Feb. 1990
13 June 1990

Liberia(Operation Sharp Edge)

05 Aug. 1990
21 Feb. 1991

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

07-18 Apr. 1994

04 July 1965
28 Mar. 1973

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

02 Aug. 1990
30 Nov. 1995

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

17 Jan. 1991
-Apr. 11, 1991
30 Nov. 1995

01 Mar. 1961
Indeterminate

06 Dec. 1941
Indeterminate

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

30 June 1949
26 June, 1950.
28 July, 1954 - 20, Sep, 1966
01 Jul, 1974 - Open

Allied Force

24 Mar. 1999
10 June 1999.

Joint Guardian

11 June 1999
indeterminate.

Allied Harbour

4 April 1999
1 Sept 1999.

Sustain Hope
Shining Hope

4 April 1999
10 July 1999.

Noble Anvil

24 Mar. 1999
20 July 1999.

Kosovo Task Force Hawk

5 April 1999
24 June 1999.

Kosovo Task Force Saber

31 Mar 1999
8 July 1999.

Kosovo Task Force Falcon

11 June 1999
indeterminate.

Kosovo Task Force Hunter

1 April 1999
1 Nov 1999.

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

24 Mar. 1999
10 June, 1999.

Kosovo Defense Campaign
Serbia, Montenegro, Albania,
Macedonia, Adriatic Seas

11 June 1999
indeterminate.