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 11 mo ago
Responses: 99
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They served their country regardless of their duty station. I served in Germany , I enlisted as RA unassigned. I could have gone to Nam, but they sent me to Germany. That's about all I can say without causing an argument on here.
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That policy became outdated 23 years ago, on Sept 11...when a foreign war came to US soil.
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In a way I can see letting Soldiers with no deployment join, the VFW is dieing. The old Soldiers are dieing out and the younger Soldiers don't care about joining the VFW. I did not join my home town VFW because I didn't like the way they were being conducted and the good old boy routine that was going on. But that is my opinion on the matter at hand.
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I know it happens, but I REALLY struggle with the concept that someone was in a military combat arms MOS from 2002 to 2022 and didn't deploy. I went in the 1st time, EAS'ed after my 1st contract, and after 9/11, went back in again. Both times I deliberately selected an MOS that prioritized combat training and deployments. I wasn't disappointed. If service members choose an MOS that doesn't prioritize combat because they want a different skill set, that's fine. Good on them. They don't however, get to complain, after 20 years of continuous warfare, that they "missed out" and don't feel like part of the club. There are MOS lat moves, SOF opportunities, and getting out of one branch of the military to go into another just to name a few opportunities to have seen combat. It's a matter of priorities. Long story short, no, I don't think the rules should be changed. The standard is the standard and shouldn't be changed because someone doesn't feel included.
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I happen to be a member of both the VFW and the American Legion and I always preferred the VFW because I could relate to their members. Anyone basically can be a member of the American Legion with their Sons of the American Legion units. So, basically nearly anyone can qualify to be a member. I keep up my Legion memberships on a yearly basis but became a Life Member of the VFW years ago because to me it's for veterans who have served in a war zone. I just feel more comfortable with those that have risked their lives to serve their country and survived, LOL
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There is a reason thar it is called VFW. Those who served in foreign wars only.
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