VFW About Us

There are three qualifiers for membership in the VFW, as set out in our By-Laws. An individual must meet all three in order to become a member.

They are as follows:
1: Citizenship – must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. National.
2: 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.
3: 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 other side for a 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

This information is usually available through a veteran’s DD-214. If other information is needed or  if  a  veteran’s  DD-214  is  not  complete,  they  can  contact  the  National  Personnel  Records  Center at 314-801-0800 or online at http://www.archives.gov/veterans/evetrecs/  to request more information.

It is imperative that we verify the eligibility of every member that signs up for the VFW, not only to comply with our By-Laws but also to maintain the integrity of the organization. If you have questions concerning membership eligibility, please contact the National Headquarters at 1-888-JOIN-VFW or via email at membership@vfw.org.  For further information on VFW eligibility, please consult Section 101 of the VFW By-Laws and Manual of Procedure.

Rev. 08/16: For a full list of campaign medals that qualify an individual for VFW membership, please consult  Section 101 of the VFW Manual of Procedure.

If a veteran’s DD-214 or other military documentation confirms they have been awarded one of these campaign medals and they have served honorably, then they are eligible for membership in the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
 

• China Service Medal
• American Defense Service Medal
• European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
• American Campaign Medal
• Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
• Army of Occupation Medal
• Navy Occupation Service Medal
• Korean Service Medal
• Navy Expeditionary Medal
• Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal
• Vietnam Service Medal
• Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
• Southwest Asia Service Medal
• Kosovo Campaign Medal
• Combat Infantryman Badge
• Combat Medical Badge
• Combat Action Ribbon
• Air Force Combat Action Medal
• Combat Action Badge
• SSBN Deterrent Patrol Insignia
• Korea Defense Service Medal
• Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
• Afghanistan Campaign Medal
• Iraq Campaign Medal
• Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal
• Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon WITH GOLD BORDER
• Korea Duty (Service in Korea for 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days)
• Hostile Fire Pay or Imminent Danger Pay
  

For any questions regarding VFW eligibility, please contact the Membership Department at membership@vfw.org or by calling 1-888-JOIN-VFW (564-6839) for assistance.