Do you see an issue with service members and veterans defining who they are by their military service?

I think most people want to validate their lives somehow. They want to be able to look back and say that they did something that mattered. And to that end, military service to your country certainly fits the bill. But the answer to your question may just come down to what we all hold as most valuable as individuals. I personally see my role as a husband and father carrying more weight than my military service but that's just my perspective. If I were to fail at those things I would consider my life a failure despite any military achievements. But for others they may see things differently. A lot of factors come into play when we look at our lives and try to find meaning. I base my self worth on the Bible and my Christian faith. So while my military service and even my success or failure as a husband and father makes a difference to me and determines how I define my life, at the end of the day the sum of all these parts do not equal my actual worth. Whether I die a champion on top of the mountain or an utter failure in the bottom of a ditch, I will be defined by God as being someone He was willing to die for. That's what keeps me going even when things are going bad.

I am more concerned with folks who define their entire lives by the rise and fall of their preferred professional sports franchise.

There are potential issues that could arise from veterans NOT defining their entire lives by their service.

In fact, there are potential issues that could arise from veterans defining their lives in any way whatsoever. Because...humans.

Like so many other aspects of life, such a thing is only a problem when it seriously impacts their lives in an adverse way. If a veteran wants to center his entire life around his status as a (fill in the blank) veteran...more power to him. Good or bad, he needs to deal with the consequences.

All things in moderation.

I think in some ways it leads some folks to look in the wrong direction. I know some that cant seem to get past it in their lives and they end up being...unproductive. I am proud of my service but that was only part of the foundation that made me who I am today. I no longer define myself as a Soldier. I think it is important to be proud of where you came from, but look to the future and pursue goals. If we only look back we don't end up anywhere.

People naturally want to be accepted by others and want/need a sense of belonging. I think if it makes them happy, then more power to them. The bond that comes with serving alongside other people that share similar experiences with you is like no other. So I understand how they hold on to this identity after leaving the military.

SGT Joseph Gunderson 21 Years a Cryptologic Technician Communications, 18 Months a Network Analyst, 3 Years a Network Operations Specialist, 15 Years Security Officer. I would say My Naval Service being the Longest Defines Me the Best. Once a Spook always a Spook.

No, though if it is only a small number of years of their total working life, then they certainly should add to that identity. Military service in a good, challenging role is an experience that shapes a person and is further an experience that non-veterans lack.
However, if you get out in your 20s or 30s, you've got more than half of your working life ahead of you. Don't stop moving forward.

I lean to my military service that provided opportunities to excel in leadership traits and attributes; both I find important in my life today as a leader in my church, coupled with a strong desire to serve Jesus Christ and my fellow members. My three years in ROTC that helped shape me for an Army career I hold dear to this day, but so too is the drive in my sunset years to get myself in tune with the Lord in all aspects. My military service is but a small part of my overall experiences in life, despite the rigid mental and physical training of that service that lives with me today.
I hold habits that only another veteran might recognize and, to me, is a good thing because the forming of those habits molded me into what I am today.

As a Marine I don't understand what you mean. What else is there? (Lol j/k)