A bill to provide for eligibility for veterans of Operation End Sweep for the Vietnam Service Medal.
This bill would add a specific eligibility provision to allow veterans who participated in Operation End Sweep to receive the Vietnam Service Medal. Specifically, it authorizes the secretary of the applicable military department to award the Vietnam Service Medal to an individual veteran who participated in End Sweep upon that veteran’s application. In effect, it ensures that End Sweep participants can be considered for the medal if they apply, with the final decision resting with the service secretary. Operation End Sweep was a 1970s minesweeping operation conducted by the United States to clear mines in North Vietnamese waters after the Vietnam War. The bill does not create a new medal or change existing criteria beyond extending eligibility for End Sweep participants who apply.
Key Points
- 1Expands eligibility for the Vietnam Service Medal to veterans who participated in Operation End Sweep.
- 2The award is discretionary and may be granted by the Secretary of the military department concerned.
- 3Eligibility requires the veteran to submit an application.
- 4The decision to award rests with the appropriate service secretary.
- 5The bill’s text is minimal and does not enact funding provisions or broader program changes.