Do you think someone who has never been in a combat has the right to call themselves a veteran?

Yes, I think someone who has never been in combat does have the right to call themselves a veteran, as long as they meet the criteria. There is a veteran and then there is a combat veteran and unless you've met both then I don't think you you're right to call yourself a "combat" veteran. Here is what "veteran" is defined as under current U.S Code for service during Operation Iraqi Freedom:

1. Must have served active duty (not active duty training) as defined by section 101(21) of title 38 at any time in the armed forces
2. minimum period of more than 180 consecutive days during the period beginning on September 11, 2001, and ending on the date prescribed by Presidential proclamation or by law as the last date of Operation Iraqi Freedom (August 31, 2010).
3. for veterans benefits, must have met above with DD-214 showing discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions
4. this means you're not a veteran if you have not been discharged from active service and are currently serving.

Title 38 U.S. Code § 101
(2) The term “veteran” means a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable.
(21)The term “active duty” means—
(A)full-time duty in the Armed Forces, other than active duty for training;
(B)full-time duty (other than for training purposes) as a commissioned officer of the Regular or Reserve Corps of the Public Health Service
(i) on or after July 29, 1945, or
(ii) before that date under circumstances affording entitlement to “full military benefits” or
(iii) at any time, for the purposes of chapter 13 of this title;
(24)The term “active military, naval, or air service” includes—
(A)active duty;
(B)any period of active duty for training during which the individual concerned was disabled or died from a disease or injury incurred or aggravated in line of duty; and
(C)any period of inactive duty training during which the individual concerned was disabled or died—
(i)from an injury incurred or aggravated in line of duty; or
(ii)from an acute myocardial infarction, a cardiac arrest, or a cerebrovascular accident occurring during such training.

Title 5 U.S. Code § 2108
(1) “veteran” means an individual who—
(A) served on active duty in the armed forces during a war, in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized, or during the period beginning April 28, 1952, and ending July 1, 1955;
(B) served on active duty as defined by section 101(21) of title 38 at any time in the armed forces for a period of more than 180 consecutive days any part of which occurred after January 31, 1955, and before October 15, 1976, not including service under section 12103(d) of title 10 pursuant to an enlistment in the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard or as a Reserve for service in the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, or Coast Guard Reserve;
(C) served on active duty as defined by section 101(21) of title 38 in the armed forces during the period beginning on August 2, 1990, and ending on January 2, 1992; or
(D) served on active duty as defined by section 101(21) of title 38 at any time in the armed forces for a period of more than 180 consecutive days any part of which occurred during the period beginning on September 11, 2001, and ending on the date prescribed by Presidential proclamation or by law as the last date of Operation Iraqi Freedom (August 31, 2010);
and, except as provided under section 2108a, who has been discharged or released from active duty in the armed forces under honorable conditions;

That is where Combat Veteran and Veteran differ but anyone who served in the Armed Forces is a Veteran. Like Capt. Miller stated you pick your job (in some cases) and then your service picks how they need you to do that job. Without you fixing those helicopters those pilots would have nothing to use to fight with. We each have our part to make the pie hole.

Just because someone never saw combat does not mean they were not willing to give everything to defend and protect their country. That willingness by itself is a huge sacrifice. Veterans are defined by their willingness to give their lives, not what they actually did. Serving with valor.

Absolutely. I have personally never seen gunfire combat, but I have done four tours and I personally know all the modern day war heroes that are written about currently in the books. The truth is that even most combat vets that do see even a small amount of combat don't want to see it again, and many become scared internally. I have met many admin Marines that had more desire to shoot and be shot at than some "hardcore grunts" . Being a vet has nothing to do with being shot at or taking a shot. It is about a lifelong brotherhood that happens to have a chapter in fighting enemies at certain times. --Semper Fidelis, Ssgt Watts, Force Recon Veteran

I do understand where your coming from, I am going to share my story and it is a long one but it could be longer so I tried to keep it pertinent as much as possible. I was active duty from 92 to april 98, in February of 98 we prepared and I think deployed soldiers from 3rd ID because Saddam moved his forces to the Kuwait border, we had just come off DRB 1 and were at the beginning of the DRB 3 month (we were DRB 3 if I remember correctly) so my brigade would have been last to fly, I was an E-5 and wanted to go with my Soldiers, I did everything I could to stay but I was within my 90 day ETS window and there was no stop loss, the threat dissipated and as far as I know DRB 2 never left and I am not sure if DRB 1 ever actually got off the ground. I rejoined in 01 after 9/11, I joined the guard to retain my rank. Being the high speed NCO I was on active duty I went from zero physical fitness since I ETS'd to trying to be that 12 minute 2 mile guy I was previously the first week of working out, I blew out my knees. We were called for activation for airport security and due to my injury and pending surgery I could not go. Fast forward to Jan 2004 we Mobilized for title 10 and were "deployed" (I use the term loosely) to Air Force bases throug out our state of Colorado, we went through full mobilization training at Ft Carson which at that time sucked, and was 2 weeks of normal CTT tasks and weapon qual. I spent 2 years working with 10 Security Forces Squadron at the Air Force Academy. I worked as a campus cop and was home every morning ( I worked the night shift), we earned the GWOT CONUS medal, we earned the AF Security Forces level 1 skill identifier tab (or whatever it's called). We provided an important service to both our country and to our Air Force counterparts. I again trying to be a PT stud blew out my knee during this mobilization, i was on crutches for a while but sucked it up and drove on, I was found to have severe degenerative arthritis and at this point there is no treatment other than knee replacement which no one will do at my age unless I get so bad I can not walk. Fast forward Labor Day 2005, we were activated and sent to New Orleans (St Bernard Parish) and I was out clearing roads and gov. building of debris and whatever needed to be moved. Due to my knee injuries and a large cycst that is now the size of a golfball I was non deployable, I was sent to annual SRP numerous times and sent back with a renewed temp profile for the knee issues, it took me 5 years in the guard system to actually get a perm profile and then another 3 years and the IG to finally get medically retired, they seemed to hope I would just ETS which I wouldn't do, I had to much time in, I moved slots numerous times within our unit so my E-5's would get promoted instead of having someone "useless to the military" (yep those are quotes from a unit readiness NCO) filing a slot. I never deployed over seas to a combat zone, I didn't choose to have an injury/chronic illness that made me non deployable, I went where I was told until I couldn't. It did take a long time for me to overcome the less than worthy feeling from not deploying, and I hated standing to be recognized. My oldest daughter graduated high school this past May and at graduation they asked vets to stand, I resisted even with my wife elbowing me until I saw the pride in my daughters face as she stared at me waiting for me to stand, so I stood. That is when I realized how proud my family was of my service, I was a damn good NCO, I have the NCOER's to prove it, I was a damn good leader, I have the Soldiers that respect me regardless of deployments, and most of all I have a family that knows me, what I did and is proud of my service and at the end of the day it isn't what anyone else thinks but those that actually give a damn about you be it your military family or your actual family. I got lucky and mobilized for the greatest mission I could have imagined, I don't need someone validating me. I still don't whip out my retired pink ID for discounts very often, I did get Veterans discount for my concealed handgun license. There will always be those that think that a medical illness or injury is BS and an excuse, hell I did the same thing until I was the one injured.

Veterans and combat veterans... That's the two kinds.

Combat veterans are a subset of veterans. We're all veterans. I don't go around saying I pulled combat duty, and I don't own any ribbons which would imply that I was in combat. However, it doesn't devalue what I did as a US Army veteran.

Well yeah. Not everyone has control over what they do, or aren't in the best situation to start. Myself, I couldn't wait 8 months for a spot to open up in infantry because I was living in a car, and ended up going Motor T Op. I went from one non-deploying unit to another in my time in, asked to go and never got a bone thrown my way. I would say that most of us deserve the title, because all of us signed that blank check at one point. However much it was cashed for is beside the point.

during wartime, if you sign up you are are apart of that war, if you do not go over seas and participate in combat, you are not a "combat veteran".

i was injured during basic but the effects of the injury didn't go full fledged until after i arrived at my unit, the cold weather helped me as i'm a florida boy used to hot weather, the numbing cold of missouri training grounds kept me from really feeling anything at all.

had i not been injured during training, i think i wouldn't be able to answer this question like this.

considering the injury has had a devastating impact on both my military career (cut short before it even began) and then carried into my civilian life (not really going there, let's just say i would have been happy to have been in combat probably instead of this) which has made the last 12 years of my life in pain very much so annoying to say the very least.

i myself hate calling myself a veteran, but i did sign up to serve my country even though the job is what it is, i didn't really find that out until after i got in, i thought i was going to help build bunkers or something like that, they (recruiters) didn't really say much about the job.

if you did sign up during wartime, and served at least a year or more with or without seeing combat, without going awol or whatever, yes you are a veteran or a combat veteran. in my case, i feel terrible i got injured to this day like i did, both physically and mentally due to not being able to still serve my country or even change my mos to something a little more important to the war effort in some form, as i don't feel the job i took was important enough to begin with after i found out what it was..

to this day i am kicking myself for getting injured, and wondering if i should even call myself a veteran as a training accident just feels terrible to have ended my career and basically what life i could have had, before it even got started.

If they served 20+ years, even without combat, they are a Veteran of the service. if they served in a combat zone at all, they are a Veteran of war.