Are you considered a veteran once you return home from an overseas deployment for nine months with the National Guard?

Unfortunately that isn’t true nor even remotely correct per UCMJ.

PFC Jeramy Dobkins - See all the responses below and follow through by the numbers.

And to piggy-back on the Major... GET A COPY OF YOUR MED RECORDS for this deployment!!! Active units are crap about losing paperwork - Guard and Reserve units are worse. Get those copies and put them somewhere SAFE... and you'd do good to make several copies and put them in different places (Like a safe deposit box, send some to Grandma to put in her attic, and even an old friend that won't trash them).

Be paranoid about them!

All of the above from everyone is true. You are a veteran with the same entitlements as an Reg. Army solider. The Guard may have an exception or two on some minor point based on Guard policy. However, I cannot think of anything that would make you exempt from any benefits. I would check with a Vet. representative for more questions and ans. ie. The VFW and others.

Medical Records. This is where too many people make a major mistake!! Starting now, sit down and begin writing down every visit you have ever had to a medical facility from Basic TNG. until now. Also any future visits, Milt, V.A. or civilian for medical reasons of any kind.

You need, date, time, place and name of the medical person who treated you if possible.
You may or may not be able to get copies of your records so recall and record what you can for now. Also, if you were injured for any reason see if you can recall a witness to the injury. If you are injured in the future for any reason be sure and have a witness by name as part of your record if possible.

You can usually get copies from the V.A. and civilian medical facility's without too much problem. From military sources, not so much. YOU will have to keep your own records, notes, as you go. You can save much of the info on your smart phone. But back up everything on paper to be safe.

Good luck young man and have a great life.

You were considered a prior service member until you’ve deployed to an active combat zone for at least 180 days and our discharge with an honorable discharge other than that it’s a no go

I must be way out of touch at the moment, because I do not understand you comment, CPL Morgan. You don't have to be deployed to a "combat zone" to be considered a veteran.

You kind of do. NG/Reserves soldiers who never deploy aren’t considered veterans unless they serve long enough to retire. For example, 4 years on the guard with no deployments does not make one a veteran by VHA standards, regardless of how they feel.

LTC Lee Bouchard this is the law of the land regardless of personal feelings. I believe this is one of the biggest wastes of time in our community is barreling a definition due in large to ego and out dated information. The status of this topic has changed over the years many times based off the changes we have experienced in war and common sense. Telling people who are veteran qualified they don’t make the mark, wrongly I might add, puts our future soldiers at risk. I say this because if they come home from an injury or don’t meet the false narrative of 180
Days active, mental health may decline. They lose their identity when you say 154 days in you got injured on a leave pass and now you're medically discharged and not a veteran. I’m sorry you never left the wire and just worked to keep the fleet operational and is grunts moving with AC, but hey your memories should suffice right? Wrong title earned and title deserved. This is a cancer in our community bad idea to promote recruitment or retention. Hence why changing of the upper command structure has been in progress to make Guard and Reserve more in line with an active soldier. Otherwise those who want to do both serve and have a career by all “numbers” are nothing by that definition and I refuse to accept such irresponsible and down right wrong statements. With all do respect sir you’re wrong and I hope you’re the type of leader who can take that and use it to make a better unit.