Eligibility:
• Must be a US citizen
• Must be currently in the US military or have an honorable discharge
• Must have served overseas during a conflict for which you received an expeditionary medal, a campaign medal or ribbon, or imminent danger/hostile fire pay
and/or
• Received the SSBN Deterrent Patrol Insignia, the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB), the Combat Medic Badge (CMB), the Combat Action Ribbon (CAR), the Combat Action Badge (CAB), the Air Force Combat Action Medal (AFCAM), or Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon (with Gold Border)
and/or
• Served 30 consecutive days duty in Korea or 60 days of non-consecutive duty in Korea
and/or
• Be currently deployed in an area that qualifies for VFW membership.
Check your ELIGIBILITY to see if your deployment qualifies.
Note: You will need to contact us via e-mail or phone to confirm eligibility based on a specific US Navy vessel when other qualifying criteria have not been met.
Signing Up:
Find your nearest VFW post using the POST LOCATOR or sign up online. By signing up online you will become a VFW member-at-large. You will enjoy all the benefits of membership, but you will not be able to participate in local post elections. You can transfer from member-at-large status to a post at a later time.
Cost: Cost for annual memberships vary by post. Costs to become a member-at-large also vary by the state or overseas location in which you sign up but average $35 per year. Life member rates can be found on the Tell Me About Life Membership page. In all cases, simply enter your location (and date of birth for life membership) on the application and it will tell you the cost.
Approval:
You will receive an emailed notification if you sign up online. Once your application is reviewed, you will receive an email stating that you have been approved, not approved, or need to send in more information. Once approved, a membership card will be sent in 8-10 business days. Those signing up at a post or via mail-in application will not receive email notifications, but will receive the membership card 8-10 business days after approval.
Annual Renewal:
For those choosing annual membership, we will mail and email you dues payment reminders starting six months prior to the end of your membership year. Remember, the VFW membership year runs from January 1 to December 31. Those signing up January 1 to June 30 will have their first year's membership good through December of that year; those signing up July 1 or later will have their first year's membership good through December 31 of the following year. (Example: Sign up 1 May 2009 and your membership will be good through December 2009; sign up 1 August 2009 and your membership will be good through December 2010.)
Being a VFW Member:
As a member, you will receive VFW magazine, email updates, and can sign up for the members-only area of our website. You may also receive regular updates from the state or area where you lived when you joined the VFW.
Stop by the local VFW post and get to know your fellow members. Check out our website, our profile on Myspace and our Facebook group to learn about VFW activities in your area. Even if you do not wish to belong to a particular post, you can find out about VFW activities in your area. Whether you choose to actively participate or not, feel pride in being a part of the country's largest organization made up solely of members like you--combat veterans.
TELL ME ABOUT A LIFE MEMBERSHIP