Though the "Mayaguez" incident is often referred to as the last battle of the Vietnam War, U.S. military personnel who participated in it are not eligible for the Vietnam Service Medal by virtue of participating that battle alone, as the eligibility period for the medal ended in April 1975, a few weeks before the battle took place. Instead of the VSM, the AFEM is authorized for military members who participated in that battle. A congressional bill was introduced in 2016 to award veterans of the "Mayaguez" battle the VSM, but the bill was never voted out of committee, effectively ending it.