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I have had some disagreements with fellow SM's about what is a veteran. Some have said only those who have deployed/seen combat. I believe thats a combat vet, and a veteran is somebody who served at least 2 years after basic and MOS training. What are your thoughts?
Posted in these groups: 
My Veteran Community
My Veteran Community
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 96
The legal definition of a Veteran is "someone who served more than 45 consecutive days in any component of the armed forces after the completion of initial entry training"
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SFC Robert Walton
Pvt Daniel Blazowich - YOUR ASS/U/ME. The regulation states " you must complete 180 days active duty after you IET to become a Veteran. No ifs, buts, or maybes. If you get 100% Disability payments for your injury makes you a Med. Board early Realease. That is decided By a Medical Review Board who has 0 effect on the regulation determining Veterans Status. You did not spend enough time in the Military to become a Veteran. Your assumption is not a Regulation of Veteran Status it is just an assumption. Contact your local VSO Veterans Service Officer there is one in every County and Provide a copy of YOUR discharge paperwork and they will provide you with the correct title. This is not Rocket Science this is simply following Regulations as Written. Have a nice day.
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SFC Robert Walton
CMDCM Donald Smith - What are the requirements to be a veteran of the military?
: Veterans entering service after September 7, 1980, must also meet the minimum active duty requirement of 24 months of continuous service or the full period to which the Veteran was called to active duty, as provided in 38 U.S.C. 5303A.
This is a Military Veteran. All other statuses are different based off of your service type IE. National Guard, Reserve, Air Guard, Coast Guard, on and on. The Veteran's Administration is a different agency providing Health care for a Numerous amount of qualified people other than Military Veterans. Way too many people do not fall under the title of Military Veterans who call themselves that simply because they are seen at a Veterans Medical Facility.
: Veterans entering service after September 7, 1980, must also meet the minimum active duty requirement of 24 months of continuous service or the full period to which the Veteran was called to active duty, as provided in 38 U.S.C. 5303A.
This is a Military Veteran. All other statuses are different based off of your service type IE. National Guard, Reserve, Air Guard, Coast Guard, on and on. The Veteran's Administration is a different agency providing Health care for a Numerous amount of qualified people other than Military Veterans. Way too many people do not fall under the title of Military Veterans who call themselves that simply because they are seen at a Veterans Medical Facility.
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If you served your time honorably, where you are Active or Reserve, you are a Veteran. If you deployed to a Combat Zone, you are a Combat Veteran.
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James Miller
SPC Richard Stevenson (Munden) I don't care about having Veterans status. I was pointing out that I deployed and not a Veteran as someone posted above. I completed my assignments and didn't quit or refuse. We were subject to the UCMJ, We civilianshad our turn at guard duty and went out on patrols into hostile environments just like the rest of the forces We supported.
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SPC Richard Stevenson (Munden)
James Miller - Civilians are not subject to UCMJ. Ever. If a civilian commits a crime on a military installation, it might be investigated by military police, but you will not be charged, and cannot be charged, under UCMJ. If someone told you during your "deployment" that you could, they lied to you.
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CMDCM Gene Treants
James Miller - first off - you did NOT Deploy. Deployment is a status assigned to members of the Armed Forces, not civilians. The DOD may have sent you there to do a JOB of some type but I do not understand why they would issue you a weapon of any type in a combat zone - you are a CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE not entitled to carry a weapon according to my research, please enlighten me.
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Suspended Profile
I found this:
Under Title 38 of the U.S. Code a veteran is defined as a “person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable.”
In 2016 the law was expanded to also include reservists that had served 20 years or more.
Thus one has to be discharged from title 10 active duty or have served 20 years in the reserves / guard to meet the legal definition of 'veteran'. That means that soldiers on active duty are not yet veterans and reservists that serve less than 20 years are not, legally, veterans.
This does not diminish anyone's service in the reserves as anyone who joined at anytime could have been sent to combat. However this can affect certain college and other financial process for a reservist.
Under Title 38 of the U.S. Code a veteran is defined as a “person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable.”
In 2016 the law was expanded to also include reservists that had served 20 years or more.
Thus one has to be discharged from title 10 active duty or have served 20 years in the reserves / guard to meet the legal definition of 'veteran'. That means that soldiers on active duty are not yet veterans and reservists that serve less than 20 years are not, legally, veterans.
This does not diminish anyone's service in the reserves as anyone who joined at anytime could have been sent to combat. However this can affect certain college and other financial process for a reservist.
LTC Robert Bensburg
Interesting that a uniformed servicemember who served in a combat zone but got a dishonorable discharge does not qualify as a Veteran under the Regulation. Despite what the person did to deserve that discharge classification, serving in the box would have some inherent value. Will certainly be debated. Reservists who get mobilized under Title 10 meet a threshold requirement. Combat Veteran and Veteran classification has been an ongoing discussion for years.
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SFC Robert Walton
LTC Ernest Edge - Thank you LTC Edge this is the best description I have ever read otherwise you end up reading scores of information to find out most are just opinions and not Regulation Based. Thank you Again, and thank you for your Service.
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SFC Robert Walton
LTC Robert Bensburg - Yes Sir That happens because people choose to follow opinions rather than regulations. This has been a large down fall through out all the Services since the ending of Vietnam War. Those of us that served during that time frame followed the regulation at the time That stated clearly Veterans status: Required 180days of Active Duty after Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training, and serving During a time of Declared War, and earn an other than Dishonorable discharge. Now even Medical discharge with a general discharge is considered Veterans based on opinion. JMTC
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SSG Ricky Johnson
I seem to remember this has come ip over the years. I do recall that soldiers on active duty that haf re-enlisted and had a DD 214, you were considered a veteran.
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