overseas tour ribbon

How to Receive an Overseas Service Ribbon

Military service often includes travel and duty assignments outside the continental United States of America, or overseas. Service overseas allows military service members to their service-specific overseas service ribbon in a multitude of capacities if they meet their service-specific qualifications. To this point, it’s important for service members and veterans to consult their service-specific regulations, policies and instructions to determine if they are authorized to wear the ribbon and how many.

The Army Overseas Service Ribbon (OSR ) was established by the Secretary of the Army on April 10, 1981, and is awarded to active Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve in an active reserve status after the completion of a successful overseas tour–if not recognized by another award or campaign medal. For subsequent awards of the Army OSR, the awardee is authorized to wear a bronze roman numeral device depicting the number of successful overseas tours.

Receive Your Overseas Service Ribbon

The Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon was authorized by the order of the Secretary of the Navy on September 17, 1986. The Navy and Marine Corps OSR is awarded to active duty members of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps after 12 months of consecutive or accumulated duty at an overseas shore-based duty station, not to include Alaska and Hawaii except for specific locations. Additionally, it is awarded to members of the United States Navy Reserves and United States Marine Corps Reserves after 30 consecutive days or 45 cumulative days of service at overseas duty stations. For subsequent awards of the Navy and Marine Corps OSR, a bronze service star device is authorized for each award and if awarded more than five, a silver service star is authorized denoting five awards.

Service members of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps are not issued the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon ( SSDR ) for the same period of service as they are issued the Navy and Marine Corps OSR.

The United States Air Force has two Air Force Overseas Ribbons, a long tour and short tour ribbon. The U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff authorized the Air Force Overseas Ribbon for issuance on October 12, 1980, and each has specific criteria for qualification for long or short tour ribbons as outlined by Air Force Instruction 36-2110, Personnel Assignments. The short tour ribbon is higher in precedence than the long tour ribbon and should be worn as such when both are authorized for wear on the uniform. If awarded subsequent overseas service ribbons for service overseas, a bronze oak leaf cluster is placed on the ribbon for each award.

Build Your Ribbon Rack

The United States Coast Guard Overseas Service Ribbon was approved for issuance by the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard on October 28, 2009. Active duty members qualify after the successful completion of 12 months overseas shore-based duty station or on board a cutter permanently assigned overseas. Inactive duty members are authorized to receive the Coast Guard OSR after satisfactorily completing a minimum of 36 cumulative days of service at an overseas duty station during each 12-month period of their required tour established for active duty personnel.

The Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon (ARCOTR) was established by the Secretary of the Army on July 11, 1984, and authorized for members of the Reserve Component (RC), to include the U.S. Army Reserves (USAR) and the Army National Guard (ANG). The ARCOTR is awarded for Army Reserve and National Guard training overseas, on foreign soil, during annual duty training (ADT) for not less than 10 consecutive days and not while on active duty as a member of the U.S. Army Active Component (AC).

If you need to update or replace your personal service ribbons, Medals of America is here to help get you what you need. Additionally, if you need to pull all your medals and ribbons together for display on your uniform or personal shadow box, use the Medals of America ribbon and medals rack builder to put it together and get it right.

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Overseas Service Ribbon Explained For All 6 Military Branches

The Overseas Service Ribbon has an important place on the uniform of every branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.

It represents, as the name implies, the completion of overseas duty of military service.

Therefore, recipients are awarded a military ribbon to designate duty outside the borders of the United States.

Learn more about the Overseas Service Ribbon, including the history and service branches that recognize the award.

Related Article – Army Achievement Medal (AAM): 6 Things To Know

Table of Contents

Overseas Service Ribbon Explained

It’s not uncommon for military service to include duty assignments outside the continental United States.

Overseas service requires additional dedication and sacrifice, considering that military personnel are away from families for an extensive period of time.

Moreover, overseas duty often involves service in dangerous areas of conflict or less-than-ideal conditions.

For this reason, the U.S. Armed Forces recognize overseas service with a military ribbon.

The name and appearance of the service ribbon vary, depending on the military branch:

• U.S. Army Overseas Service Ribbon

Navy & Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon

Air & space force overseas service ribbon, coast guard overseas service ribbon.

• Army Reserve Overseas Training Ribbon

Learn more about the history of the Overseas Service Ribbon, including details of the award presented to each service branch, below:

The military award is presented to members of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force.

The United States Army was the first service branch to issue an Overseas Service Ribbon in 1981.

Meanwhile, the Army Reserve component of the award was established a few years later (1984).

The Navy and Marine Corps combined the Overseas Service Ribbon into one award, which was first granted to service members in 1986.

Likewise, the United States Air Force and Coast Guard combine their version of the Overseas Service Ribbon into a single ribbon.

The Air and Space Force Overseas Service Ribbon was established in 1980 while the Coast Guard variant was recently approved in 2009.

Now, for an individual breakdown of each service ribbon.

Related Article – Army Service Ribbon (ASR): 5 Things To Know

Army Overseas Service Ribbon

The Army was the first military branch to create an Overseas Service Ribbon.

As such, the service branch began issuing the ribbon in August of 1981.

The award, like the other military ribbons on this list, is reserved for those who complete overseas service.

In general, each service branch has its own determination including eligibility requirements to receive the ribbon.

For example, in the U.S. Army, the length of an eligible overseas tour depends on A) the location and B) whether or not the soldier was accompanied by a spouse or other family members.

Additionally, the United States Army presents two different versions:

• Short Tour: 6-23 months overseas duty.
• Long Tour: 24+ months overseas duty.

The Army considers any service shorter than 6 months TDY (Temporary Duty Assignment), and therefore not eligible for the award.

Furthermore, the location of the overseas duty assignment factors into the length of time required for eligibility.

The military branch denotes additional honors on the ribbon with award numerals.

Furthermore, those who served in designated combat zones earn Overseas Service Bar(s).

The military award is presented retroactively to soldiers under certain circumstances.

Army Reserve Overseas Award

The Army Reserve features its own variant of the overseas ribbon.

It’s known as the Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon (ARCOTR).

The military award was established in 1984 and recognizes those who complete annual training or ADT for 10+ consecutive days on foreign soil.

Moreover, all ARNG and USAR soldiers that accompany an Army Reserve Component (RC) unit are also eligible.

It’s worth noting that while other service branches acknowledge reservists, the Army Reserve and National Guard are the only components that recognize overseas training.

Related Article – US Marine Corps Ribbons Explained

The Air Force Overseas Service Ribbon (ASOR) was authorized in 1980.

In 2020, the title was changed to the “Air and Space Overseas Service Ribbon” to accommodate the recently established U.S. Space Force.

The military award is presented in two different grades, like the Army version of the ribbon:

• Air & Space Overseas Short Tour: Less than 2 years of service.
• Air & Space Overseas Long Tour: More than 2 years of service.

In general, the basic requirement is that the permanent duty assignment last at least 300 days within an 18-month period.

The Air Force grants additional awards represented by oak leaf clusters.

Additionally, the service branch authorizes a recipient of both the short and long-tour awards to wear the ribbons simultaneously on the uniform.

Lastly, an “A” device on the short tour ribbon denotes a tour of duty at an Arctic Air Force or Space Force facility.

The appearance of the Air and Space Overseas Service Ribbon is substantially different from the Army ribbon.

Related Article – Air Force Ribbons Explained

The United States Coast Guard recently adopted its own version of the service ribbon.

There is no division between short and long tour duty, like the Army and Air and Space Force variants.

As such, the Coast Guard Overseas Service Ribbon is provided to any Coastie who completes a tour of duty of at least 12 months.

Furthermore, Coast Guard reservists are also eligible for the award after completing a minimum of 36 cumulative days of service in a 12-month period.

However, duty on board U.S. deploying ships or units does not qualify for the military award.

Additionally, Coasties that are eligible for the Restricted Duty Ribbon cannot receive this ribbon for the same duty timeframe.

Lastly, the service ribbon is awarded retroactively to qualifying Guardsmen.

Those who earn subsequent awards display small bronze or silver service stars on the ribbon.

Related Article – Coast Guard Ribbons Explained

The Marine Corps and Navy are interchangeable in many regards, including the sharing of this ribbon.

The Navy and Marine Corps version of the military award has been proposed since the late 1960s.

However, it was not until 1986 that the service ribbon was established with the service branches.

Those who are eligible for the award must complete 1 year of consecutive or cumulative duty at a permanent overseas duty station.

Additionally, personnel of the Navy Reserve are eligible after completing either A) 30 consecutive or B) 45 cumulative days of overseas duty.

Moreover, in 1999, the U.S. Navy added personnel stationed on overseas homeported naval vessels to also qualify for the award.

Today, military personnel are authorized to receive both the OSR award and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (SSDR) for the same tour of duty.

Marines and sailors are recognized with additional awards by service stars displayed on the uniform.

Related Article – US Navy Ribbons Explained

There are numerous sacrifices that military personnel make throughout their journey.

Often, service members are called for duty overseas, sometimes in dangerous or combative regions.

Accordingly, the U.S. Armed Forces recognize overseas service with a military decoration.

For this reason, a service ribbon is granted to recipients of the award.

The appearance of the ribbon varies depending on the military branch.

The same is true of the eligibility requirements.

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Home > Awards Home > Air Force Awards > Air Force Overseas Short Tour Ribbon

Air Force Overseas Short Tour Ribbon

 The Air Force Overseas Short Tour Ribbon (AFOR-S) is awarded to recognize completion of an overseas tour. Before 6 January 1986, the ribbon was awarded to Air Force active duty, Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard members credited with completion of an overseas tour on or after 1 September 1980. Air Force active duty, ANG and Air Force Reserve members serving as of 6 January 1986, or later are entitled to reflect all Air Force overseas tours credited during their career.  For personnel who extended their original overseas tour and have entered into a DEROS extension or into an IPCOT, award the respective ribbon when the members enters the extension or IPCOT; however, only one award for the entire period overseas is authorized unless the extension or IPCOT results in the member being credited with another overseas tour.  No more than one long and one short tour ribbon will be awarded to any one person. The short tour ribbon takes priority over the long tour ribbon when both are worn.  Authorized Devices: An Oak Leaf Cluster will be worn on either ribbon for subsequent awards, respectively.  An Arctic "A" Device will be worn on the short tour ribbon upon completion of a short tour above the Arctic Circle. Thule Air Base, Greenland, qualifies for this device. The "A" device is awarded to all current Air Force active, Reserve and Guard personnel, serving on duty as of 10 February 2002, regardless of the date of tour completion. When worn alone, the device will be centered on the short tour ribbon. When worn with oak leaf clusters, the "A" device will be worn to the right of the oak leaf clusters on the ribbon. Only one "A" device will be worn, regardless of the number of Arctic tours completed. Note: The Air Force Overseas Short Tour Ribbon is awarded for tours between 181 days up to one year.

Category of Award: Air Force Service Medals and Achievement Awards

Established on: October 12, 1980

Authorized Device(s): Bronze and/or Silver Oak Leaf Cluster and "A" Device

References: AFI 36-2803 , The Air Force Military Awards and Decorations Program, Pages 155 and 156 DoD Manual 1348.33-M , Manual of Military Decorations and Awards, Page 157

Page updated November 17, 2016

U.S. Air Force Ribbons and Medals Order of Precedence

With Military Honors Copyright © 2011-2017 With Military Honors

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Air and Space Overseas Ribbon Long Tour

Air and Space Overseas Ribbon Long Tour Formerly the Air Force Overseas Service Ribbon - Long Tour (AFOLT)

Criteria:  The Air and Space Overseas Service Ribbon (AFOLT) is issued in two grades, a Long Tour and Short Tour version. First created in 1980 both the Short Tour and Long Tour ribbons may be worn simultaneously.

The Long Tour ribbon is awarded after the completion of a standard overseas service assignment, usually longer than two years in length. It can also be awarded for any service member that is assigned overseas duty (including combat tours) that are over 365 days multiple times during a 3 year period. The Short Tour ribbon is normally awarded for a permanent duty station assignment of at least 300 days within an 18 month period. An example of this is the tours that many Airmen complete in South Korea, the most common short tour assignment. However, there are exceptions for the 300 day period typically involving deployment to hostile environments. Many Airmen had the requirement lowered to 181 days from 2003 to 2011 for such hazardous tours.

Subsequent awards of the ribbons are denoted by wearing a Oak Leaf Cluster device on the service ribbon. The Short Tour ribbon also has a "A" device that is approved for airmen who are served their tours in an Arctic based facility.

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Sample Display Recognitions

Display Types

• Issue Requirements
• Short Tour Issue Regulations
• Long Tour Issue Regulations

Examples of Short Tour Eligibility

Who May Apply

• Administration Processing and Delivery
• How To Apply For This Display Recognition and/or Medal

Mailing Address

• Other Display Recognitions
• USAF Websites
• USAF Discussion Forum
• Veteran recipients
• Active Duty recipients
• Family Members of recipients
• Estate Inheritors

Issue Requirements You must submit a photocopy of your DD-214 displaying your Overseas service time.

Personnel Branch Processing and Delivery

• Total/Shipping prices, above, apply to 50 U.S. states
• Contact The War Library for international shipping cost

How To Apply

You may apply for your Display Recognition using a...

• Check Debit card ( * Shipped within 1 week )
• Charge card ( * Shipped within 1 week )
• Personal, Business, Bank or Cashiers Check ( Shipped in 6 weeks )
• Money Order ( * Shipped in 6 weeks )

( * Upon reception of required documentation )

Complete and MAIL this APPLICATION FORM . Don't forget to include a copy of your DD-214 or other pre-arranged document(s).

DISPLAY RECOGNITION and/or MEDAL APPLICATION FORM

Records Chief (REC-AMW) The American War Library 817 East Via Carmelitos Ste 319 Long Beach CA 90805-7549

Email: USAF Overseas Short Tour Recognition Inquiry

Telephone: 1-562-422-4100 (Pacific Time Zone)

Issue Regulations : Overseas Service Ribbon (Short Tour) Click here for Long Tour Issue Regulations

Establishing Authority

Effective Dates

When originally established in 1980 no criteria was set for retroactivity which made the OSST retroactive to WW2 AAF personnel. In 1986 the Air Force re-set retroactivity to allow any current active or Reserve member who served overseas prior to 1980 to be authorized the ribbon.

This ribbon is awarded to Air Force members credited with completion of an overseas assignment defined as a "short tour" by Air Force regulations and that is not recognized by any other medal or ribbon.

Order of Precedence

This ribbon is worn after the Outstanding Military Volunteer Service Medal and before the Overseas Service Ribbon (Long Tour).

Restrictions

The Overseas Service Ribbon (Short Tour) may not be worn on the Navy or Marine Corps uniform.

Additional awards are denoted by bronze oak leaf clusters (a silver oak leaf cluster denotes a sixth award).

Additional awards are denoted by bronze oak leaf clusters.

A Short Tour is whatever the Air Force determines it to be. A Short Tour is shorter than a normal tour for any given assignment area.

Example Number One:

If a normal tour of duty to Siberia is 12 months (which is the minimum requirement for receiving the Siberian Service Medal) but you were sent on special assignment to Siberia to be there only 4 months you would be eligible for the Short Tour Ribbon but not the Siberian Service Medal. Also, if your 4 month tour was extended to 5 months (or 4 months and 1 day) you would be eligible for the Long Tour Ribbon, but again, not the Siberian Service Medal because you were not in Siberia for 12 months (which is the criteria for receiving the Siberian Service Medal).

Example Number Two:

The Air Force has designated a normal overseas tour of duty to be 18 months. You receive orders to spend 10 months in Roguestan where:

• 12 months service is required to receive the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
• There is no medal (yet) established for service in Roguestan
• The Global War Expeditionary Medal is not authorized for Roguestan service

Upon completing your 10 months in Roguestan you are eligible for the Short Tour Ribbon. However, if you agree to spend any additional days, weeks or months in Roguestan beyond your 10 month assignment you will be eligible for the Long Tour Ribbon... unless you remained in Roguestan for 12 or months at which point you would be eligible for the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. (Both your Short and Long Tour ribbons for Roguestan service would automatically be voided/rescinded at the point you became eligible for the AFEM medal. [Long or Short tour ribbons awarded for other service areas/periods would remain valid.])

Issue Regulations : Overseas Service Ribbon (Long Tour)

The Overseas Service Ribbon (Long Tour) was established on October 12, 1980, by the Air Force Chief of Staff, General Lew Allen, Jr.

This ribbon is awarded to Air Force members credited with completion of an overseas assignment defined as a "long tour" by Air Force regulations and that is not recognized by any other medal or ribbon.

This ribbon is worn after the Overseas Service Ribbon (Short Tour) and before the Air Force Longevity Service Ribbon.

The Overseas Service Ribbon (Long Tour) may not be worn on the Navy or Marine Corps uniform.

Go To Top of Page Go To Issue Regulations for Other Medals and Badges

Army Overseas Service Ribbon: Top 10 Cool Facts

Let’s take a few minutes and discuss the Army Overseas Service Ribbon.

While getting promoted is normally the top priority for most service members, recognition in the form of awards… medals and ribbons is vitally important.

The pride when a child, grandchild or other friend or family member admires your shadow box full of military awards.

What is this ribbon Grandpa? That, my child, is the Army Overseas Service Ribbon. I was awarded it for serving outside the United States.

The Army Overseas Service Ribbon

In the paragraphs below, I am going to give you the top 10 cool facts about the Army Overseas Service Ribbon. I will cover the history, the requirements, and other good to know information.

#1: When & Who Established?

The Army Overseas Service Ribbon (OSR ) was established by the Secretary of the Army on April 10, 1981, and is awarded to active Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve in an active reserve status after the completion of a successful overseas tour–if not recognized by another award or campaign medal.  ~ Medals of America

#2: Who Can Receive The Army Overseas Service Ribbon?

To receive the OSR, Soldiers  must be credited with a normal overseas tour completion  in accordance with AR 614-30 (see Table 3-2). Soldiers who have overseas service with another branch of service (Air Force, Navy, Marines)  must be credited with normal overseas tour completion by that service to qualify for award of the OSR. ~ HRC.Army.mil

#3: Campaign Awards

Originally, the Army Overseas Service Ribbon would not be awarded to service members if they received a campaign or service medal on the same tour. The Army eliminated that policy and as such, you can be awarded this ribbon even if you have other awards from the same campaign.

#4: More Than 1 Tour

If a service member has more than 1 tour, he/she will not be awarded another ribbon. Instead, a numeral is pinned to the existing ribbon. If you had 4 tours, a number 4 would be pinned to your Army Overseas Service Ribbon.

#5: For Tours Prior To 1981

For those service members who completed tours before the 1981 issuance of this ribbon, they needed to have an active Army status after August of 1981 to be eligible.

#6: Short Tours

According to regulations, Soldiers who serve at least 11 cumulative months over a 24 month period or 9 continuous months on TCS/TDY status can receive overseas tour credit.

#7: 2 For 1?

If a Soldier is on a prescribed OCONUS tour and is deployed on a separate OCONUS TDY/TCS status tour, that Soldier will receive credit for two overseas tours.

#8: Wearing An Equivalent Award

It may seem odd if you spot an Army service member wearing the equivalent award from a different branch. If that service member was, at one time, a member of the other branch and earned the equivalent award, they are authorized to wear that ribbon on their Army uniform. The Navy/Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard all have equivalent ribbons.

Soldiers who have overseas service with another branch of service (AF, Navy, Marines) must be credited with normal overseas tour completion by that service to qualify for award of the OSR. ~ Official Military Ribbons

#9: Posthumous

Soldier’s who die and it is officially listed as “in the line of duty,” they are eligible to receive the Army Overseas Service Ribbon. This is a way for friends and family to remember the member’s dedication to the U.S. and freedom.

#10: Hawaiian Confusion

There has been a lot of confusion from Army personnel about eligibility for anyone deployed to Hawaii . The fact is, Hawaii is now a State and therefore is ineligible as an overseas tour. But for service members who served in Hawaii before it was a State, they ARE eligible.

The biggest confusion comes for Army personnel who served during the declared Statehood. Would you give the ribbon to them? I would. Hawaii became a State in August 1959.

Bonus: Desert Storm & Desert Shield

If you served in Desert Storm or Desert Shield, in most cases, you will qualify or this award.

RC Soldiers who were mobilized and dispatched overseas to locations outside the theater of operations during Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM (2 August 1990 to 11 April 1991) are eligible for award of the OSR without regard to the time served overseas as long as the overseas service is not recognized with another U.S. service medal.  ~ Military Wives

Chuck’s Story

I’m proud of my overseas service ribbon. I deployed for 16+ months to Kosovo back in 2006 and 2007. Being away from my fiancee (now wife) was difficult and stressful. This was one of several service awards I received for my deployment. While it’s not fancy, and doesn’t come with a medal, it looks great sitting next to the other ribbons on my uniform. I also earned one during my deployment to OIF 1 in 2003.

Now, I have heard some opinions that there should be no such thing as an overseas service award. I disagree.

These men and women are leaving their families behind to spend a year or more in a different country with different cultures and often imminent danger. I see nothing wrong with awarding a ribbon thanking them for their overseas military service. What are your thoughts?

Also, I would love to hear from all who have been awarded the Army Overseas Service Ribbon. Give a shout out… Where, when, and how many? You can post all comments and questions below. Thanks for stopping in.

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4 thoughts on “Army Overseas Service Ribbon: Top 10 Cool Facts”

Being a veteran with overseas service from 1977-79; I have no problem with the requirements concerning this award except in the interest of fairness to all who have met these requirements prior to 1981, particularly during the time of tension leading up to the fall of the Berlin Wall; it deemed appropriate to all members who have sacrificed honorably to receive this recognition instead of a piece of paper and for the DOD to amend the 1981 requirement so it can recognize that tha served in overseas theaters. That’s my personal opinion. Thanks.

Regardless of what you think about Hawaii, AR 614-30 is pretty cut and dry and it does recognize Hawaii and Alaska for a OSR. When you’re stationed in those two states, it is considered OCONUS and you will have to command sponsor your family to travel with you, like any other OCONUS duty station. In fact, I was not able to receive BAH for my dependents in Hawaii until they were command sponsored since they were not on my orders prior to getting stationed here.

I feel that any service member stationed overseas should receive this award regardless of time out of CONUS. Overseas separation from family is still a strain on any service member.

I was awarded the Korean Defense Service Medal (retro active) for my time (many months) back in 1979, but not authorized the Overseas Ribbon (est.1981) because I was called back and reassigned at another post due to emergency hardship reasons. It’s hard to explain to my grandchildren how I was recognized for my service in Korea but not recognized for going overseas to do it. If it’s because of cost, I’d pay for the ribbon, just put it on paper that I was there.

Thanks for your service in Korea. Deploying overseas is definitely stressful, especially when you have your family back home.

I’m guessing the reason you didn’t get the overseas service ribbon is you weren’t deployed long enough overseas to qualify for it.

If you are trying to find out if you are currently eligible, I would get with your local VA office and see if they can help. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.

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Air Force Overseas Ribbon Short Tour Ribbon

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History - Established 1980

Established in 1980, the Air Force Overseas Ribbon is awarded to members of the United States Air Force or Air Force Reserve who complete a qualifying tour overseas. The tour must be two or more years long to merit the Long Tour award; the Short Tour Award is granted for terms totaling at least 300 days within a single 18-month span.

The ribbon features a thick dark blue stripe in the center interrupted by three dashed white lines. To its exterior on each side are alternating thinner vertical stripes of white and light blue.

Subsequent awards may be indicated by oak leaf clusters.

Related Awards

Unpacking the Controversy Over Tim Walz's Military Service

Walz served in the minnesota national guard for 24 years before leaving to run for congress., alex kasprak, published aug. 12, 2024.

• The claim that Walz "abandoned" his National Guard unit right before he would have been deployed to Iraq is a subjective allegation leveled by a small number of former National Guardsmen and Minnesota political activists. Having served in the Guard for 24 years, Walz was free to retire when he did. 
• Walz has never claimed to have served in a combat role in war. Such allegations are based on a single misstatement and are undercut by his consistent transparency about not seeing combat in other interviews.
• Walz served as a command sergeant major, but did not retire at that grade because he did not complete the required training. The Guard has said, on numerous occasions, that it is accurate for Walz to state that he has served at that rank.

During an Aug. 7, 2024, campaign rally in Michigan, GOP U.S. vice presidential candidate JD Vance reopened a series of old attacks against his Democratic counterpart, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, challenging his military record. "When Tim Walz was asked by his country to go to Iraq, you know what he did?" Vance said at the rally. "He dropped out of the Army and allowed his unit to go without him." 

All told, Vance's statements have placed renewed focus on three allegations that have previously been leveled against Walz by political opponents:

He "abandoned" his National Guard unit right before he would have been deployed to Iraq.

He has lied about serving "in war."

He has lied about the rank at which he retired.

Walz has faced these allegations from the same small group of local politicians and former Minnesota National Guardsmen in virtually every election he has participated in since his first campaign for Congress in 2006. In 2018, when he was running for governor of Minnesota, two former members of Walz's unit wrote an open letter that went viral then , and which resurfaced in 2024:

When the nation called, he quit. He failed to complete the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy. He failed to serve for two years following completion of the academy, which he dropped out of. He failed to serve two years after the conditional promotion to Command Sergeant Major. He failed to fulfill the full six years of the enlistment he signed on September 18th, 2001. He failed his country. He failed his state. He failed the Minnesota Army National Guard, the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion, and his fellow Soldiers. And he failed to lead by example. Shameful.

Here, Snopes dissects each allegation:

Walz served in the Army National Guard for 24 years , joining the Nebraska Guard at age 17. He underwent basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, that year, in 1981. He returned for his senior year of high school while drilling with his unit. Service in the National Guard involves an initial period of training, then a commitment of one weekend a month and two weeks a year of exercises and training.

Walz became an artillery specialist and helped train soldiers on the use of field artillery weapons. He met his wife and moved with her to Minnesota in 1996, continuing his teaching and military careers in parallel. With that move, he transferred to a National Guard outfit based near his new job — 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery Unit, or the 1-125th FA. He rose through the ranks, as he described in a 2009 Library of Congress interview :

I taught sixth-grade history for a while teaching in Nebraska. That's where I met my wife, and she moved me back to Minnesota … . I said as far as guard units, you're able to transfer to ones. And they found me one near my hometown in Mankato, Minnesota, where I was moving with my wife that was a field artillery unit in St. James, Minnesota. So I joined the 1st [Battalion] of the 125th Field Artillery, which was part of the 34th Division, the Red Bulls, and became part of that division artillery and then moved through the ranks, everything from gunnery sergeant, chief of the firing battery, a first sergeant and then eventually being the sergeant major for the battalion.

Domestically, the battalion was involved in several natural-disaster responses: tornado cleanups, flooding disasters, and Yellowstone wildfires. Though Walz's initial commitment to the Guard ended in 2001, he re-enlisted following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. After Sept. 11, the 1-125th participated in overseas deployments, though not in combat roles.

Walz and his unit provided "force protection" at Air Force bases in Italy, demobilizing in early 2004. Upon his return from that deployment, Walz was promoted to command sergeant major, making him the most senior enlisted member of the 1-125th.

In early 2005 , Walz announced his run for U.S. Congress. When he began his campaign, he was enlisted and considered the possibility of campaigning while on active duty or facing deployment, but later decided to retire to focus on the run. At the time , he was 41 and had a 4-year-old daughter.

Walz 'Abandoned' His Unit?

The allegation that Walz "abandoned" his unit originated, in large part, from the National Guardsman who went on to take Walz's place as command sergeant major in the 1-125th and who co-wrote the aforementioned open letter. Centrally, this line of attack alleges that Walz's congressional run allowed him to avoid combat.

Walz announced his run for Congress in February 2005, before the March 17, 2005, announcement that the 1-125th would potentially be deployed to Iraq. While Walz did announce his intention to run before that announcement , it is certainly possible he knew his unit was likely to see action in Iraq based on increased mobilization of National Guard troops for the War on Terror and due to his senior rank.

At the time of the mobilization announcement, Walz said he was still considering remaining enlisted during his campaign. Ultimately, he decided to retire. Though it is unclear when he filed his decision to retire, May 17, 2005, was his last day with the Guard. His unit deployed in March 2006.

The suggestion that a possible future combat deployment played a role in his decision to retire is speculative, and pushed in large part by that small but vocal group of former members of the 1-125th. Others who served with Walz disagree, saying he had every right to retire when he did. As the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported , for example :

Joseph Eustice, a 32-year veteran of the guard who led the same battalion as Walz, said the governor fulfilled his duty.  "He was a great soldier," Eustice said. "When he chose to leave, he had every right to leave."  Eustice said claims to the contrary are ill-informed and possibly sour grapes by a soldier who was passed over for the promotion to command sergeant major that went to Walz.  … Like Walz, Eustice said that he also left in the middle of a six-year re-enrollment because members are free to leave at any time after their initial six-year stint.  "If you choose to re-up, you can walk in any day and be done," Eustice said.

Other former members of the unit who remember Walz have also spoken highly of him, as reported by Minnesota Public Radio in 2022:

Jeff Bertrang outranked Walz in the unit and retired as a brigadier general. Now the New Ulm schools superintendent, Bertrang has a fond recollection of Sgt. Walz. "His willingness to learn and to inspire others, he had a go-get-em' attitude," Bertrang said. "It wasn't sit back and wait to see what happens." They spent time stationed together in the far reaches of Norway, where Guard troops trained with NATO allies, doing drills in the snow in 30-below-zero temperatures.  Bertrang said Walz was good at putting his colleagues at ease and demonstrated an appreciation for varying viewpoints and differing backgrounds, all of which could transfer to politics.

The Minnesota National Guard, which could have blocked his retirement, had no objections to his leaving at the time he did, an official with the Guard told The Washington Post in August 2024.

Walz Lied About Serving 'in War'?

In describing his time in the military, Walz has never claimed to have served in any combat role. He makes this point explicit in nearly all published interviews on the subject. Speaking during his 2009 Library of Congress interview about his unit's deployment in a support role during Operation Enduring Freedom, for example, Walz described some of his men's disappointment at their noncombat assignment:

We were under the assumption we could fire artillery [during Operation Enduring Freedom]. That's what we had trained for. … All of us, first and foremost, were infantry and all of us did need to provide whatever was required of us. So we ended up providing part of the … base security for Air Force bases. … And I think in the beginning, many of my troops were disappointed.

Some conservative outlets, such as the Washington Free Beacon, have argued that Walz's statements about his deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom misleadingly suggest he claimed to have served in Afghanistan. Walz has never made such a claim, though, and he has always described his 2003 deployment as one that supported security operations at U.S. Air Force bases in Europe.

The closest thing to a statement made by Walz suggesting he is a combat veteran comes from a 2018 statement he made as governor of Minnesota when he advocated for tighter gun-control legislation: "We can make sure those weapons of war, that I carried in war, are only carried in war." The Harris campaign recently shared the statement on X and other social media platforms.

Walz's phrasing here is inaccurate, as he did not carry weapons "in war." Though he was exposed to enough percussive power from the artillery he trained on, and taught others how to use, to require ear surgery later in life , he did not handle those weapons of war in an actual war.  

On Aug. 9, 2024, a Harriz-Walz campaign spokesperson told The Washington Post that Walz "misspoke," explaining:

In making the case for why weapons of war should never be on our streets or in our classrooms, the Governor misspoke. He did handle weapons of war and believes strongly that only military members trained to carry those deadly weapons should have access to them, unlike Donald Trump and JD Vance who prioritize the gun lobby over our children.

His language in this instance was imprecise and potentially misleading, but it requires a literal reading of a rhetorical point about gun violence to cast this statement as his claiming the status as combat veteran in light of his transparency on the topic elsewhere.

Walz Lied About His Rank?

The dispute about Walz's rank is, at its core, a semantic one. When Walz was promoted to command sergeant major on Sept. 17, 2004, his promotion was conditional on his completing certain training. It is not uncommon for such promotions to precede the required training. He began, but did not complete , training for this role at that time, as described by the military-focused media outlet Task and Purpose:

The course Walz failed to complete was a 750-hour course in the Army's Sergeants Major Academy, which would have included 86 hours in residence at Ft. Bliss, Texas. Completing the course is mandatory for E-9s, though completing the training after being promoted is not uncommon.

Regardless, Walz served for seven months as command sergeant major. When he decided to retire, he left without completing that training. As a result, his official retirement rank is a step lower. The demotion occurred after he left, and it was administrative, not punitive . The change primarily affects Walz's military-retirement package.

The Minnesota National Guard has regularly stated that it is appropriate for Walz to say he "served as" command sergeant major. Capt. Holly Rockow, a public affairs officer for the Minnesota National Guard, told Minnesota Public Radio in 2018 that it "is legitimate for Walz to say he served as a command sergeant major."

Walz's opponents take umbrage with Walz saying he is a retired command sergeant major due to this demotion. On Aug. 8, 2024, the Harris campaign, which had originally described Walz as a "retired command sergeant major" on its website, changed the language to more accurately state that he served at the rank of command sergeant major.

The Bottom Line

A minority of veterans from the 1-125th, as well as political activists, begrudge Walz for retiring in 2005 before a long deployment in Iraq, and for using the phrase "retired as" a command sergeant major. The National Guard accepted his retirement without issue at the time and has stated that he did "serve as" a command sergeant major. Despite characterizations to the contrary, Walz has never explicitly claimed to have served in combat.

Walz served honorably in the National Guard for 24 years, and served (but did not retire) at the highest rank possible for an enlisted man. As a soldier he participated in disaster-relief deployments domestically and provided security assistance at European U.S. Air Force bases during Operation Enduring Freedom.

"Army National Guard." Goarmy.Com, http://www.goarmy.com/content/goarmy/en/explore-the-army/army-structure/national-guard.html. Accessed 9 Aug. 2024.

Assessing Claims about Tim Walz's Military Service - The Washington Post. 9 Aug. 2024, https://web.archive.org/web/20240809132937/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/09/assessing-claims-about-walz-service/.

Britzky, Jeremy Herb, Haley. "Vance Reopens Line of Attack into Walz's Military Record as Two Veterans Now Vie to Be Vice President | CNN Politics." CNN, 7 Aug. 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/07/politics/tim-walz-military-record-vance-attack/index.html.

"'Citizen Soldier' Walz Honed Leadership in Uniform." MPR News, 3 Oct. 2018, https://www.mprnews.org/story/2018/10/03/tim-walz-national-guard-career-minnesota-governor-race.

Coolican, J. Patrick. Tim Walz's Campaign for Minnesota Governor Aims to Bridge the Great Divide. 14 Oct. 2018, https://www.startribune.com/tim-walz-s-campaign-for-minnesota-governor-aims-to-bridge-the-great-divide/495297961.

History of the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery. https://minnesotanationalguard.ng.mil/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/1st-battalion-125th-field-artillery-history.pdf.

Nieberg, Matt White, Patty. "The 'Swift Boating' of Tim Walz Has Begun. What Is the Truth?" Task & Purpose, 7 Aug. 2024, https://taskandpurpose.com/news/swift-boat-walz/.

"Paid Letter: The Truth About Tim Walz." West Central Tribune, 2 Nov. 2018, https://www.wctrib.com/community/letters/the-truth-about-tim-walz.

Ross, Chuck. Tim Walz Falsely Claimed He Served in Afghanistan. When a Local Vet Called Him Out, His Office Did Nothing. 7 Aug. 2024, https://freebeacon.com/elections/tim-walz-falsely-claimed-he-served-in-afghanistan-when-a-local-vet-called-him-out-his-office-did-nothing/.

Senator JD Vance Campaigns in Shelby Township, Michigan | C-SPAN.Org. https://www.c-span.org/video/?537607-1/senator-jd-vance-campaigns-shelby-township-michigan. Accessed 9 Aug. 2024.

Tim Walz Congressional Biography. https://www.congress.gov/115/meeting/house/105558/witnesses/HHRG-115-HA00-Bio-WalzT-20170215.pdf.

"Timothy James Walz Collection." Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.69125/. Accessed 9 Aug. 2024.  

By Alex Kasprak

Alex Kasprak is an investigative journalist and science writer reporting on scientific misinformation, online fraud, and financial crime.

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Here’s Where Trump Made The Most Money Overseas As President

Foreign businesses provided the real-estate developer with plenty of ethical problems while he was in office—but surprisingly little profit.

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Donald Trump profited from wide-ranging foreign deals while leading the United States.

W hen Donald Trump took office in 2017, he refused to divest his businesses, even the foreign ones, bringing overseas entanglements with him into the White House. From an ethical perspective, it was a disaster. From a financial perspective, however, it made some sense—at least for a businessman who obsesses over pennies and refuses to admit defeat.

Forbes analyzed thousands of pages of tax returns, financial disclosures, regulatory filings and Trump Organization documents to determine how much President Trump earned—and lost—through his overseas empire. His best deals were his brand licensing and property management agreements, which allowed him to gather payments from foreign business partners without taking on much risk of his own. That dynamic played out, for instance, in the Philippines and India, where Trump earned an estimated $8 million over four years.

Much less successful, however, were his wholly owned properties, such as golf resorts in Scotland and Ireland. The real estate tycoon had invested more than $100 million into those assets before taking office, but they were still struggling to turn a profit at the time he became president. By hanging onto them, Trump gave them time to transform into moneymakers.

Below, a tour of the world of Trump, with countries ranked by the estimated operating profits Trump earned in them as president.

1. Philippines: $4.3 million

Trump’s licensing business extends to Manila, where a 57-story residential building proudly displays the Trump name above its front door. Former Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte named Trump’s partner, Jose Antonio, special envoy for business and trade to the United States shortly before the 2016 election. After Trump won, the property provided solid returns, more than $1 million a year from 2017 to 2019, until the income stream trickled off in 2020.

Protesters line up in front of Trump's tower in Manila on November 9, 2017, ahead of a visit from the tycoon-turned-president.

2. India: $3.6 million

One year after his father became president, Donald Trump Jr. traveled to India to promote luxury towers fashioned with the Trump brand. The trip generated plenty of criticism from ethics experts, even as Don Jr. tried to make the case that everything was above board, insisting, “We don’t want any kind of conflict of interest.” President Trump earned an estimated $2.7 million over four years from a project in Mumbai and nearly $1 million from one in Kolkata.

Donald Trump Jr. speaks with Abhishek Lodha, one of his partners, at a topping-out ceremony at the Trump Tower in Mumbai on Feb. 22, 2018.

3. Dominican Republic: $3.2 million

Trump promised to do no new foreign deals while in office, but what counts as a new deal? Ten years before he became president, Trump reached a licensing agreement in the Dominican Republic. The project blew up in the Great Recession, leading to a lawsuit and an undisclosed settlement. But in early 2017, Eric Trump suddenly showed up in the Dominican Republic, and his father’s old partner said he was “excited to be working with the Trump Organization in the future phases of the project.” A year later, in 2018, Donald Trump sold land in the Caribbean country for $3.2 million.

4. Canada: $3.1 million

Trump’s partners at a hotel in Toronto ditched him around the time that he became president. The breakup apparently came with a nice payment, as Trump’s receipts shot up to $2.3 million in 2017, then disappeared after that. As the Toronto partnership was fading, another was strengthening. Trump’s partner in Vancouver traveled to D.C. for the presidential inauguration, one month before cutting a ribbon for his project alongside Eric Trump and Don Jr. President Trump collected roughly $200,000 a year in management fees through the Vancouver deal while in office, but his name came off the property after he left the White House.

One month after attending the the presidential inauguration in D.C., Trump partner Joo Kim Tiah celebrated at another inauguration ceremony, for the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Vancouver.

5. Turkey: $1.7 million

During his 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump appeared on a radio show with Steve Bannon, who asked the real-estate mogul a foreign-policy question about Turkey. “I have a little conflict of interest because I have a major, major building in Istanbul,” then-candidate Trump said, before getting into anything about policy. “And it’s a tremendously successful job. It’s called Trump Towers.” At the time, those towers were kicking off about $1 million a year in income, according to Trump Organization records. Earnings deflated once Trump was in office, but he still earned an estimated $1.7 million from 2017 to 2020.

People walk in the street in front of the Trump Towers in Istanbul on November 29, 2016, shortly after Donald Trump's election.

6. Uruguay: $1.3 million

Weeks before his father took office in 2017, Eric Trump traveled to the beachside town of Punta del Este to examine the construction of a cylindrical tower with his last name on it. “When you see the final product of this building,” Eric Trump said, “it’s going to blow your mind. It is truly the greatest building in South America.” Trumpian hyperbole aside, the deal was at a high point, poised to kick off an estimated $1.3 million that year. But the project—and Trump’s profits—soon stalled out, with the president earning an estimated $300,000 in 2018 and losing money in 2019 and 2020.

The Trump-branded tower in Punta del Este, Uruguay started construction in 2014 and remained under development by November 2018.

7. United Arab Emirates: $1.2 million

Trump claimed that he received a $2 billion offer shortly before he became president to expand his partnership in Dubai with billionaire Hussain Sajwani. “I turned it down,” Trump said. The two were already in business, with a much smaller deal. In 2017, Trump earned just shy of $150,000 to manage Sajwani’s golf course in Dubai. Trump’s earnings from the agreement inched up through his presidency, reaching more than $400,000 in 2020, or about triple the 2017 figure—but a long way from $2 billion.

Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. pose with partner Hussain Sajwani, right, during festivities marking the formal opening of the Trump International Golf Club, in Dubai on Feb. 18, 2017.

8. Indonesia: $600,000

Hary Tanoesoedibjo, an Indonesian billionaire who attended Trump’s inauguration and bragged about how he would one day lead his own country, handed Trump $3 million in licensing fees in 2015 in connection with projects in Bali and Lido. The payments decreased after Trump took office, with the Trump Organization collecting about $300,000 of management fees in 2017, less in 2018 and 2019 and nothing in 2020.

Donald Trump Jr. shares a light moment with partner Hary Tanoesoedibjo during a press conference in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019.

9. Saint Martin: -$2.1 million

Trump owns a Caribbean home, currently listed for $15.5 million, that he has been trying to sell for years. Some potential buyers have looked at the property, including one Chinese billionaire, who quickly dismissed it: “Too small.” The Trump Organization rented out the place, which at one point landed on Airbnb with a price of $11,000 a night. The home struggled to bring in more than $50,000 of annual revenue for most of Trump’s presidency, as it racked up losses of hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to Trump’s tax returns.

10. Ireland: -$2.6 million

After years of dumping money into a golf resort in Doonbeg, Ireland, things finally seemed to be going Trump’s way in 2019. His son Eric toasted locals at a pub in the summer, Vice President Mike Pence stopped by the resort a few months later, and the property turned a $235,000 operating profit by the end of the year. Then Covid-19 hit, causing a $2.4 million loss in 2020, even after the Trump Organization accepted $600,000 of government grants.

Donald Trump visited his resort in Doonbeg, Ireland while serving as president in June 2019. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

11. Panama: -$3.5 million

The Trump Ocean Club, a 72-story, sail-shaped building in Panama City was once a jewel in the Trump empire, generating nearly $3 million in annual licensing and management fees as recently as 2015. But the deal soured once Trump was in office. Fees plummeted in 2017, and Trump’s name came off the front of the building with a crowbar the next year, when the president declared a $2.4 million loss on his tax return.

The Trump Ocean Club (tallest) looks out over the water in Panama City, Panama.

Scotland: -$11 million

Trump owns two golf resorts in Scotland, his mother’s native country. He opened the Aberdeenshire course in 2012. Two years later, he purchased Turnberry, host of four British Opens, for $65 million. Despite spending truckloads of cash at both properties, they struggled to make money. In 2020, the resorts received $3.8 million of government grants—and still lost a combined $6.2 million before depreciation, according to British filings. Since Trump left the White House, however, operating losses shrunk at one property and flipped to profits at the other, finally giving Trump a modest return on his investment.

The eighth and ninth holes of the Ailsa Course at Trump Turnberry lead up to a lighthouse overlooking the sea in Scotland.

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