August 14, 2017 
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Vietnam Service Medal and Ribbon 
from the Air Force's Personnel Center

Created by Executive Order 11213, July 8, 1965. It is awarded 
to all service members of the armed forces who between 
July 4, 1965 and March 28, 1973, served in the following areas 
of Southeast Asia; Vietnam and the contiguous waters and airspace; 
Thailand, Laos, or Cambodia; or the airspace thereof and in the 
direct support of military operations in Vietnam.

Personnel previously awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary 
Medal for service in Vietnam between July 1958 and July 1965, 
may, upon request, exchange that medal for the Vietnam Service 
Medal; however, no one is authorized to wear both medals solely 
for services in Vietnam.

CRITERIA

There were 17 different campaign periods, but the first, which 
was called the Vietnam Advisory Campaign, covered the period 
from March 15, 1962 to March 7, 1964. During this time there 
were never more than a few thousand U.S. troops involved in Vietnam.

The following is a list of Department of Defense recognized military 
campaigns associated with eligibility for the Vietnam Service Medal, 
provided a member meets the award eligibility criteria listed below:

-Vietnam Advisory Campaign: March 15, 1962 – March 7, 1965
-Vietnam Defense Campaign: *July 4, 1965 – Dec. 24, 1965
-Vietnam Counteroffensive Campaign: Dec, 25, 1965 – June 30, 1966
-Vietnam Counteroffensive Phase II: July 1, 1966 – May 31, 1967
-Vietnam Counteroffensive Phase III: June 1, 1967 – Jan. 29, 1968
-Tet Counteroffensive: Jan. 30, 1968 – April 1, 1968
-Vietnam Counteroffensive Phase IV: April 2, 1968 – June 30, 1968
-Vietnam Counteroffensive Phase V: July 1, 1968 – Nov. 1, 1968
-Vietnam Counteroffensive Phase VI: Nov. 2, 1968 – Feb. 22, 1969
-Tet '69 Counteroffensive: Feb. 23, 1969 – June 8, 1969
-Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969: June 9, 1969 – Oct. 31, 1969
-Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970: Nov. 1, 1969 – April 30, 1970
-Sanctuary Counteroffensive: May 1, 1970 – June 30, 1970
-Vietnam Counteroffensive VII: July 1, 1970 – June 30, 1971
-Consolidation I: July 1, 1971 – Nov. 30, 1971
-Consolidation II: Dec. 1, 1971 – March 20, 1972
-Vietnam Cease-Fire Campaign: March 30, 1972 – Jan. 28, 1973

Note: Asterisk (*) indicates the effective eligibility date for the 
VSM which began July 4, 1965, however the entire period for the 
Vietnam Defense Campaign is March 8, 1965 – Dec. 24, 1965.