Campaigns
The Department of Defense established thirty military campaigns during the Vietnam War. For those service members participating in one or more campaigns, a 3/16 inch campaign star (formerly a "service star" and then an "engagement star") is now authorized to be attached on the Vietnam Service Medal (a campaign medal) for each campaign participated in. Silver campaign stars are issued in lieu of five bronze campaign stars. Some campaigns apply to all of the military services while others are specific to a particular branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, (the United States Marine Corps is part of the Department of the Navy and is eligible only for Navy campaigns). The exception to this rule is Operation Frequent Wind. The arrowhead device is authorized for campaign participation which involved an aerial or amphibious assault. The Fleet Marine Force (FMF) combat operation insignia is also authorized for certain Navy personnel. The United States Army, Marine Corps and Coast Guard recognize 17 campaign stars (3 silver and 2 bronze campaign stars) on the Vietnam Service campaign streamer. The United States Navy and the United States Air Force recognize one more.
The Vietnam Service Medal is retroactive to 1961 and supersedes and replaces the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) which was issued for Vietnam service prior to 1965. Defense Department regulations do not permit the simultaneous presentation of both the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, for the same period of service in Vietnam, however the AFEM may be exchanged for the VSM upon request from a service member. Veterans of the Vietnam War may exchange the AFEM for the VSM and have military records updated to reflect the difference by contacting the National Personnel Records Center, which is the current agency that provides record corrections reflecting an AFEM upgrade to the Vietnam Service Medal.
The Republic of Vietnam also issued its own version of the VSM, known as the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal. This is a separate foreign award from the Vietnam Service Medal which was accepted by the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Military in accordance with DoD 1348 C7. Six months of service in support of military operations in the Republic of Vietnam was the normal requirement for the award.
| Vietnam service campaign dates | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name of campaign | Start date | End date | Army | USN/ USMC |
USAF | USCG |
| Vietnam Initial Advisory Campaign | 15 November 1961 | 1 March 1965 | XXXXX | |||
| Vietnam Advisory Campaign | 15 March 1962 | 7 March 1965 | XXXXX | XXXXX | XXXXX | |
| Vietnam Air Defensive Campaign | 2 March 1965 | 30 January 1966 | XXXXX | |||
| Vietnam Defense Campaign | 8 March 1965 | 24 December 1965 | XXXXX | XXXXX | XXXXX | |
| Vietnam Counteroffensive. | 25 December 1965 | 30 June 1966 | XXXXX | XXXXX | XXXXX | |
| Vietnam Air Counteroffensive | 31 January 1966 | 28 June 1966 | XXXXX | |||
| Vietnam Air Offensive | 29 June 1966 | 8 March 1967 | XXXXX | |||
| Vietnam Counteroffensive Phase II |
1 July 1966 | 31 May 1967 | XXXXX | XXXXX | XXXXX | |
| Vietnam Air Offensive Phase II |
9 March 1967 | 31 March 1967 | XXXXX | |||
| Vietnam Counteroffensive Phase III |
1 June 1967 | 29 January 1968 | XXXXX | XXXXX | XXXXX | |
| Vietnam Air/Ground Campaign | 22 January 1968 | 7 July 1968 | XXXXX | |||
| Tet Counteroffensive | 30 January 1968 | 1 April 1968 | XXXXX | XXXXX | XXXXX | |
| Vietnam Air Offensive Phase III |
1 Apr 1968 | 31 October 1968 | XXXXX | |||
| Vietnam Counteroffensive Phase IV |
2 April 1968 | 30 June 1968 | XXXXX | XXXXX | XXXXX | |
| Vietnam Counteroffensive Phase V |
1 July 1968 | 1 November 1968 | XXXXX | XXXXX | XXXXX | |
| Vietnam Air Offensive Phase IV |
1 November 1968 | 22 February 1969 | XXXXX | |||
| Vietnam Counteroffensive Phase VI |
2 November 1968 | 22 February 1969 | XXXXX | XXXXX | XXXXX | |
| Tet 69 Counteroffensive | 23 February 1969 | 8 June 1969 | XXXXX | XXXXX | XXXXX | XXXXX |
| Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 | 9 June 1969 | 31 October 1969 | XXXXX | XXXXX | XXXXX | XXXXX |
| Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970 | 1 November 1969 | 30 April 1970 | XXXXX | XXXXX | XXXXX | XXXXX |
| Sanctuary Counteroffensive | 1 May 1970 | 30 June 1970 | XXXXX | XXXXX | XXXXX | XXXXX |
| Vietnam Counteroffensive Phase VII |
1 July 1970 | 30 June 1971 | XXXXX | XXXXX | XXXXX | |
| Southwest Monsoon | 1 July 1970 | 30 November 1970 | XXXXX | |||
| Commando Hunt V | 1 December 1970 | 14 May 1971 | XXXXX | |||
| Commando Hunt VI | 15 May 1971 | 31 October 1971 | XXXXX | |||
| Consolidation I | 1 July 1971 | 30 November 1971 | XXXXX | XXXXX | XXXXX | |
| Commando Hunt VII | 1 November 1971 | 29 March 1972 | XXXXX | |||
| Consolidation II | 1 December 1971 | 29 March 1972 | XXXXX | XXXXX | XXXXX | |
| Vietnam Cease-fire | 30 March 1972 | 28 January 1973 | XXXXX | XXXXX | XXXXX | XXXXX |
| Operation Frequent Wind | 29 April 1975 | 30 April 1975 | XXXXX | XXXXX | ||
Read more about this topic: Vietnam Service Medal
Famous quotes containing the word campaigns:
“That food has always been, and will continue to be, the basis for one of our greater snobbisms does not explain the fact that the attitude toward the food choice of others is becoming more and more heatedly exclusive until it may well turn into one of those forms of bigotry against which gallant little committees are constantly planning campaigns in the cause of justice and decency.”
—Cornelia Otis Skinner (1901–1979)