Posted on Jun 5, 2014
A "Veteran" after dropping out of boot camp? Where do you draw the line?
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I feel that a woman I know (I will leave it at that for anonymity's sake) is claiming something and taking credit for something that she didn't earn. Personally, I am an honorably discharged disabled veteran, so I feel I have a legitimate gripe here. Anyway, this woman joined the Army a decade or so ago, and quit 2 weeks into boot camp because she couldn't hack it. She claims it was due to a sprained ankle. I know many soldiers that completed boot camp after healing up from a sprained ankle. Anyway, every time Veteran's Day, Memorial Day etc... rolls around she gladly accepts accolade's in person and all over social media and acts like she deserves the title veteran. I just can't get that taste out of my mouth that this creates. At what point can someone claim that title? I figured at the very minimum graduating basic training... any thoughts?
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 119
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I know in the Corps you are not a Marine UNTIL you graduate boot camp. It's not like high school where you can go back and get a GED. So NO. She is NOT a vet nor did she earn the title.
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I sprained my ankle in basic and kept training, I pulled the muscles on the inside of my rib cage and kept training. Many of my company in basic got hurt, sprains, pains, broke ribs, nobody quit except the wussies. My Drill's kept them all there until the day we graduated and then washed them out as training failures. May oldest brother washed out of basic and we don't consider him a veteran. If you do not finish boot camp, you are just a trainee, not yet a soldier.
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My wife and I are both vets. I retired after 21 years and my wife served 12. Her little brother joined the Army in my field (68P). He got into trouble the first time and I spoke up for him. After that, I washed my hands of him. He was booted two weeks before he completed Phase II of his AIT. He made the mistakes once of calling himself a veteran in my presence. I don't think he will EVER make that mistake again.
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We are the real 1% and there will always be someone that will want to be but couldn't be or won't be. It's not right but we all know who we are.
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The only thing this person is a veteran of is Reception Battalion. She is spitting in the face of my father and grandfather, who both fought and bled for their country, by calling herself a veteran. Maybe you need to counsel her a little bit SrA Adams. At the very least, call her out on it.
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I believe we had a similar discussion on here before but since I can't find, I'll give my two cents.
Personally, I don't think any of us earned the title of Veteran until we successfully completed basic and advance training. Signing up to leave is one thing, leaving and being successful; working through all the sweat, pain, tears, and blood and never giving up is another. Personally, I agree, she is faking the funk here. Sure she signed up and shipped out but was only gone for 2 weeks?!?! That doesn't make you any closer to be being a Veteran than the guys that play Modern Warfare on Xbox and/or PlayStation all day.
Personally, I don't think any of us earned the title of Veteran until we successfully completed basic and advance training. Signing up to leave is one thing, leaving and being successful; working through all the sweat, pain, tears, and blood and never giving up is another. Personally, I agree, she is faking the funk here. Sure she signed up and shipped out but was only gone for 2 weeks?!?! That doesn't make you any closer to be being a Veteran than the guys that play Modern Warfare on Xbox and/or PlayStation all day.
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If she is claiming any kind of medals, the stolen valor laws can be brought to bear.
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SGT Craig Northacker
I did not read through the final regs on that-thanks for the clarification. The devil is always in the detail...
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If she was a drop out while in basic training, she still got a DD 214. She is required to put that down on any job application as being a former member of the armed forces by law. That law dictates that veteran status must be reported by applicants and hiring businesses. If the law states, "anyone with a DD 214" and reference for the status of veteran hires, it would lead me to believe that the federal government considers her a veteran. We don't have to like it or agree but, it is what it is.
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SGT Craig Northacker
Another element is the wording on the cause for discharge which impacts the eligibility for veteran benefits - which is a different piece of the puzzle. I am not sure why anyone who does that would even begin to want to publicly advertise that - and unless they have an outstanding reason for doing that I would not be interested in dissipating our foundation assets on someone who did not meet the minimum requirements to serve on active duty with a PCS.
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SGT Mitch McKinley
SFC Smith,
Please correct me if I am wrong, but typically anything pertaining to veteran status is only mentioned in the Equal Opportunity portion of an application. All information in that form is voluntary and does not have to be listed by law.
In fact, I work for a private university, and as such, they applications and on-boarding paperwork make no mention of military or veteran status whatsoever.
Please correct me if I am wrong, but typically anything pertaining to veteran status is only mentioned in the Equal Opportunity portion of an application. All information in that form is voluntary and does not have to be listed by law.
In fact, I work for a private university, and as such, they applications and on-boarding paperwork make no mention of military or veteran status whatsoever.
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I got a chuckle from this one. As a detailed recruiter, I have heard some of the craziest stories for why people didn't complete training. But in my opinion, someone who doesn't complete BCT AND AIT is most definitely, not a veteran. And for them to even pretend that they are is very sad on their part. Call her out!
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SSgt Kevin Main
I've met people who didn't complete basic training who claim they are making 100% disability from VA... What a joke.
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Suspended Profile
You're not a veteran unless you honorably complete your term of service. There's no wiggle room there. Try getting veteran's benefits without doing so, I think you'll find they're not available. Anywhere.
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