So even if we're not on Active Duty anymore, we still are eligible for this, correct?

Originally Posted By Garand_Shooter: Originally Posted By tyman: So even if we're not on Active Duty anymore, we still are eligible for this, correct? Yup.

Tank ya

Joined this week, thanks for the link.

YMMV.
About a year or so ago, I signed up while I was in, gave them all my info, email, mailing address, etc.  Never heard anything from them.  Now a year later, I get three emails.  1 was a poll, 2 others saying my membership expired, and I need to pay them money to continue all the benefits I have.

So I sign up, what happens next?

Thanks for the link.  I just got back from the sandbox and I have to give kudos to the VFW and USO for the fantastic support they give to the military members deploying and returning!

Great job guys!  The greeters at Bangor Maine and Baltimore Maryland were top notch and not only cheered us on but arranged hotels, gave us phones and calling cards, and fed us coffee and other goodies.

I was surprised at how much the USO has improved since the last time I visited one in 1987.  They provided sandwiches, drinks, and internet acces along with a TV lounge.  Also they had goodies and travel kits which came in handy when my rotator was delayed by 12 hours.

Originally Posted By Tailback: Thanks for the link.  I just got back from the sandbox and I have to give kudos to the VFW and USO for the fantastic support they give to the military members deploying and returning! Great job guys!  The greeters at Bangor Maine and Baltimore Maryland were top notch and not only cheered us on but arranged hotels, gave us phones and calling cards, and fed us coffee and other goodies. I was surprised at how much the USO has improved since the last time I visited one in 1987.  They provided sandwiches, drinks, and internet acces along with a TV lounge.  Also they had goodies and travel kits which came in handy when my rotator was delayed by 12 hours.

+1

The folks at Bangor were a very welcome sight and the last "civillians" we saw when we departed Stateside in 04'

VERY nice folks, and damn good cookies!

I joined.  Got my card last week.  Thanks for the link!!!!

What the hell?

I just came back from Iraq in 2006 and I paid 500$+ for a lifetime membership for the VFW.

You have any idea how many 50cent beers I have to drink with old guys to make up that money invested?

Alot dude. a whole lot. Why is it free now all the sudden? was it free before and did those nam' vets swindle me or what?

Is this still going?

The link to join on the website is down.

Originally Posted By joker581: Is this still going? The link to join on the website is down.

+1. I went to the regular appliation but its want my CC info.

woot found the link


https://emem.vfw.org/ssl/NewMIP.aspx

Does the Cold War count?  

I was stationed overseas, but never during wartime.  I was in the reserves during the gulf war, but wasn't called up.

Unless you're a Cold Warrior in which case your screwed.

Thanks, will pass on to others

Is the free membership available to members of the Guard who are not currently Title 10, and are just on normal drilling schedule?  I have deployed so I am eligible

Doesn't seem to be free any more.

NTM

Just became a life time member

Ditto.  I flew out about 7 weeks ago, on a delayed flight that had to stop there on short notice.  Still a few folks hanging out there. They have a very cool "shop" in the terminal - free phone and lots of paraphanelia from different units deploying through.

I'd heard about them a few years back. Never expected to be one that they met!

Is it not free anymore

I'm not a fan.  I cancelled my membership for two reasons:

1.  Despite the National "leadership's" claim, the local VFW membership were not very welcoming to us non-senior citizen vets.  I have over twenty years of active duty and more time in combat than most of the "leadership" of the Post had in the military yet they treated me like I was some sort of newbie who needed their stamp of approval in order to sit at "their" bar.  Even one of the Gulf War vets tried giving me a hard time.  Hmmm ...I've been on combat patrols that lasted longer than the Gulf War.  

2.  The VFW actively supports a number of political candidates and incumbent office holders who do not support a strong military but rather more handouts and "benefits" for veterans.  They've become the uniformed wing of the AARP and are more about bilking handouts and social programs out of the government instead of a strong national defense.  Read their newsletters and magazines sometime, it's more about "what can I get for free from my nation" and "the nation owes me" instead of about "what can I do to support our nation?"  Somebody has to pay for those "benefits".  Guess who?  And by the way, many of those candidates are not exactly the kind of folks who'd respect your 2nd Ammendment rights.

Last story:  I had some VFW greeters stop me in a large airport after coming back from Iraq once, I won't mention which.  One of the Vietnam vets (according to his hat) stopped me, thanked me for my service, and said he was glad to see me home and that he was glad we were coming home from a "war we shouldn't have been in in the first place."  Really?  I'd just spent a significant chunk of my life fighting a war this guy considered useless.  But thanks for fighting anyway, would you like to join the VFW?  

They can spend their time begging Congressmen and Senators for handouts.  Since they only wanted my dues, not my presence or my voice, I decided I don't need their kind of "support."

Well then I guess I shouldn't complain that I never heard a thing from them at all. At least they didn't ignore me then ask for money.

Will this get me into VFW hunting clubs/leases/land?

Meh, we did what was required during out time.

When I joined, I was not expecting anything.  Before I left, I had be extended to the end of GW1.

No worries.

TXL

Does this give us access to VFW land?

They send me stuff from time to time and I have always tossed the invites.

I guess I still don't feel "old" enough to join.