Posted on Aug 2, 2023
What do you think about the "Veterans of Foreign Wars" (VFW) one day changing their policies to include veterans with no foreign service?
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The VFW which is appropriately titled "Veterans of Foreign Wars" has been a topic of discussion for many of today's Veterans. Should they one day changing their Policies to include Veterans who do not have a Overseas or 'Foreign' Way on their DD214. This has been an issue or at least a question for a long time. Veterans who serve do so at the whim of a detailer who sends them where needed. Many Marines I served with Volunteered for Afghanistand and/or Iraq dozen of time to no avail. In many cases they were 'NEEDED' elsewhere due to their expertise in a 'non-combat' field or MOS. One in particual was a Black Belt Marine Corps Martial Arts Program 'MCMAP' Trainer and trained new Officers at the OCS academy where young Lieutenants went to train and learn their 'Combat' skills. He was never allowed to deploy due to his expertise and eventually got out of the service without a Foreign Deployment through no fault of his own but now he is 'Penalized' for not having a Deployment. He has been told to 'Go join the American Legion' but all of our freind groups are VFW...
Deployment
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) - Afghanistan
South Korea
Posted 10 mo ago
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I retired after 20 years of service, 7 deployments and stationed 2 years overseas with one of the deployments to Bosnia. I was not welcomed at either the VFW or American Legion when I approached both. Apparently, my service was not deemed worthy of their organizations. A little bitter but channeled that energy into my family and children's schools. Their loss.
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The name implies vets of foreign wars. If you didn’t serve in combat you shouldn’t be allowed to join. That’s why there is an American Legion. Go join that instead
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In my opinion as long as one served during war time such as a Vietnam Era Veteran then that should do it. Most VFW posts are losing members so why not accept war era Veterans. Or perhaps just have the American Legion for all.
From a personal point of view having done search and rescue and boarding duties in the USCG 1963-1967, many if not most of us put our lives on the line every day as mother nature was trying her best to kill us. I tried to get Vietnam duty but they wouldn't send me. The Coast Guard had 8,000 people in Vietnam.
I am a life member of AMVETS, no posts anywhere near where I now live, so I rejoined the American Legion.
From a personal point of view having done search and rescue and boarding duties in the USCG 1963-1967, many if not most of us put our lives on the line every day as mother nature was trying her best to kill us. I tried to get Vietnam duty but they wouldn't send me. The Coast Guard had 8,000 people in Vietnam.
I am a life member of AMVETS, no posts anywhere near where I now live, so I rejoined the American Legion.
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If you ignore the membership requirements, what is the difference between The Veterans of Foreign Wars and The American Legion?
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I guess it's up to them. I did not deploy to war, but I was in Germany for the end of The Cold War for 2 1/2 years. I will always be grateful to VFW Everett, WA for helping me process my claim for disability even if I can't join.
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If the VFW wants to continue to exist, changes have to be made to accommodate the times. VFW's are closing left and right because of policies that do not fit todays soldier.
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The VFW wouldn't be the VFW if they change policies to allow memebers to not have wartime service. But honestly the VFW is useless. They haven't adapted as a whole for newer members of oif & oef era veterans. The leadership is still of those that are only about Vietnam, Korea, & the few wartime actions before the 90s.
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I spent two enlistments serving my country, one as a military police mos and the second as a 11b3p, but was never able to serve in a conflict or deployment. Received my second and final discharge on the day of the Panama Invasion. Was approached by a VFW group out west and told that since my separation date was the same as the invasion, I could join the local VFW. Never felt right that I could be allowed to and chose not to join. Once moved to the south, was approached again while riding with a bunch of veterans and then told I was “Not” eligible. Bottom line, I did not deploy, so VFW group is not for me. Lots of other veterans groups that due fit my service. That’s cool and I fully understand and not loosing sleep over it. Kind of like the Girl Scout vs the Boy Scouts, you have to go with the equipment and cards you were dealt!
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