New list helps identify eligible terrorism war veterans: enterprising recruiters can now pinpoint exact areas where veterans are earning the latest VFW—qualifying medal

VFW Magazine, August, 2004

Veterans of the war on terrorism haven't yet received the recently approved Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, but that shouldn't stop VFW recruiters from signing them up. And to make it easier, the Pentagon released a list of specific qualifying areas in June.

Military personnel records won't be updated until this fall, but VFW recruiters can verify a veteran's eligibility with several documents. First is the list of qualifying areas (at right), in which vets must have served 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days. To prove they were there, vets can produce such items as travel orders, letters of evaluation or flight logs.

"We call this the easy one" said Master Sgt. Al Salinas, chief of the Recognition Programs Branch at the Air Force Personnel Records Center, in an Air Force Times article. "The areas are defined by DoD, and they just have to prove they were there."

Aggressive VFW recruiters can target troops returning from qualifying areas and inform them that they are eligible for the medal, if they don't realize it already. Of course, recruiters also can announce that those GIs are fully qualified to join the ranks of the nation's oldest major veterans organization. So let's welcome them wholeheartedly.

For more on membership, contact:

Jim Rowoldt

VFW Membership Department

VFW National Headquarters

406 W. 34th Street

Kansas City, MO 64111

(816) 756-3390, ext. 208

Target Eligible Terror War Vets

GIs who have served in the following areas for 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days since Sept. 11, 2001, qualify for the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and VFW membership.

Land Areas

Afghanistan

Bahrain

Bulgaria

Crete

Cyprus

Diego Garcia

Djibouti

Egypt

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Iran

Iraq

Israel

Jordan

Kazakhstan

Kenya

Kuwait

Kyrgyzstan

Lebanon

Oman

Pakistan

Philippines

Qatar

Romania

Saudi Arabia

Somalia

Syria

Tajikistan

Turkey (1)

Turkmenistan

United Arab Emirates

Uzbekistan

Yemen

Off Shore

Arabian Sea (2)

Bab el Mandeb Strait

Gulf of Aden

Gulf of Aqaba

Gulf of Oman

Gulf of Suez

Mediterranean Sea (3)

Persian Gulf

Red Sea

Strait of Hormuz

Suez Canal

(1) East of 35 degrees east longitude

(2) North of 10 degrees north latitude and west of 68 degrees east

longitude

(3) East of 28 degrees east longitude

Kansas City Award Trip Winners

Listed here are the leaders of their respective membership divisions as of March 31, 2004.

District Commanders

Div. 4 (Europe): Leo Robbins, Dist. 3

Div. 5 (Europe): Thomas Buffington, Dist. 5

Div. 7 (Illinois): Marshall (Curtis) Hawk, Dist. 7

Div. 6 (Florida): Arnold W. Gruning, Dist. 2

Div. 6 (Oregon): James E. Watson, Dist. 12

Post Commanders

Div. 1 (Maryland): Randy George, Post 6506

Div. 2 (Indiana): Paul D. Brewer, Post 972

Div. 3 (Pennsylvania): Edward A. Deissroth, Post 6704

Div. 4 (Arkansas): Billy R. Hogue, Post 3543

Div. 6 (Illinois): John R. Russo, Post 10302

Div. 7 (Illinois): Raymond F. Henry, Post 4308

Div. 8 (New York): Roland C. Abare, Post 1019

Div. 8 (Europe): R.J. Mulligan, Post 27

Div. 9 (Georgia): Louis C. Graziano, Post 7778

Div. 10 (Ohio): Charles R. Smith, Post 4510

Div. 11 (North Carolina): Euell H. Griggs, Post 2972

Div. 12 (Nebraska): John R. Gollihare, Post 9798