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

Alright... So I may only be an A1C with just over a year of service. I come from a long line of combat veterans from WWI to Saudi, and here I am sitting behind a desk in some stupid ass job that I absolutely hate. I feel like I'm contributing nothing to my country, so, for the most part, no. You don't necessarily have to see combat in my opinion. It's conditional to me. Anyone can go "overseas,' but unless you have played a supporting role in a combat or support mission, I don't think you can call yourself a veteran. My NAF has played a large role in taking down ISIL/ISIS HVT's, but I had no direct role in it. So as of now, I don't consider myself a "veteran."

Of course they do... However those who had less than 180 days on active duty other than for training, or NEVER completed MOS Training let alone Basic because of inability to adapt, faking injuries or not, Psychological, & ran around saying FTA or impugning the character of those who were attempting to be professional and keep their Military bearing, or just could not take orders & the simulated stress of Military life period... It's those individuals who tend to embellish their short pathetic service careers and create this type of divisiveness! I have several in-laws that never made it through basic who are the biggest losers and constantly give me grief for only serving on active duty for 10 years!

Well.... To begin I would say that anyone that call themselves veterans should ask themselves if they finish their contract and obligation. Then there are 2 types of Veterans on my book . 1 Veteran of service and 2 Combat Veteran. We all did a job and the diference is that we all trained for combat in bootcamp. But some of us actually being in combat or being deployed to another country to do our job. Then there are the ones that serve during peace time . They did their jobs also .... they are veterans....
So plain and simple. .. Is like an UFC fighter that trains but never touch the ring . Sorry if I offended anyone but reality is hard sometimes. So SEMPER FI TO ALL AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL HERE AND OVER THERE

Yes and no. Legally veteran are defined. If you want to seperate the more honorable from less honorable, what make you think your designation is any more valid that the legal terms. We can go to any arbitrary devision. From those who has 100 confirmed killed, to 10, to zero kill. Anyway, I think we have many things to excercise our thoughts with. I never really worked for honor so it means nothing to me. The work employment preference means little to me. It makes zero difference in my job hunt for 2 years. Gimmicks my brothers in arms. You define everything. WHO care what honor other judge you by, if you are who you are through and through.

You do deserve it

The only reason I didn't get to see combat was the Gulf War was ending by the time I became eligible to enlist. I asked for the next best option that I could volunteer for that would get me in a situation that I could do what I wanted to for my country. I got Korea as the answer. I should of studied up a little in history before going there as we had been in peace times with that country for decades but in 1996 it was my only option for anything that would perhaps see some action. I did the year tour there didn't get to see any action, came back to Ft. Riley, and ended my enlist with active duty. Years later I returned to service in the National Guard(I missed having buddies). The national guard was a different breed of characters and there wasn't the closeness of buddies like there was on active duty where you all were assigned to a section and hung out in the barracks after work. I didn't have any options available that would allow me to see combat. I was much older(in my 30's) and I didn't have the hard charging, want to whip some ass, attitude I had when I was 19. I find it repulsive that someone would even consider stripping the title of veteran from people just because they hadn't been to battle. I've run into some that think because of a patch on the right arm, they've all of a sudden become a better person than you when it comes to soldiering. Pretty egotistical if you ask me. Some of the folks sporting combat patches may have been to theater but they haven't actually been in "battle". I remember some soldiers being pissed because one of the AD members of the unit applied for and was awarded the combat action award given for when you have an ied go off close to you or some other sort of narrowly missed dangerous scenario. They say the whole time he was in Iraq, he had a desk job and never left the safe confines of the compound. I'm saying combat veterans shouldn't be proud of what they've done or the opportunities they had to do it. I'm just don't try to make the rest of us lower class soldiers just because we weren't able to achieve the same "greatness" the rest of you have. Last I checked we were all in the same brotherhood. Stick together and let us all be proud of what we've done to serve the country we love. Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless America! (Wrote on an iPhone, sorry for any autocorrect or grammar mistakes).

Heath

I believe as long as there is a distinction between veteran and combat veteran, everyone should be able to classify themselves in the correct category. You can't decide when the country goes to war, what your deployment schedule is, or when the enemy will engage you. What you decided is that service to your country was important enough to you took an oath to serve in the military, making you a veteran. If you're lucky enough to pull on some triggers or drop some bombs, call yourself a combat veteran. Either way, be proud of your service to country and wear the title with pride.

What makes a veteran is taking on the responsibility of being under orders that may lead you into harm's way.

You often do not get to decide what you do, or where you are stationed in the military, and no one can dictate whether there will even be conflict while one is on Oath to the Constitution.

Should we be any less Proud that we served just because we weren't put in harms way? I don't know about you but all the time I was in I was ready to do my duty. Is my oath worth less just because I wasn't asked to prove I meant it? Yes we have the right to stand up and proudly sai I served. I would not take honor I didn't earn but I won't deny the honor that I did earn either.

Anyone who served is a veteran, you are trying to distinguish between a "Combat veteran" and a "Veteran"

Not a veteran is someone who either didn't serve, didn't finish training, or got kicked out for their stupidity and some of them are still considered veterans.

We have multiple generations of veterans in my family, up both sides of the tree. I was shot at, like most who crewed helicopters flying the DMZ corridors in Korea, but that is not considered combat. Even for those periods where we US troops bore witness to hostility between the Koreas. Stop being like the punks in Washington and trying to rewrite what a veteran is.