Posted on May 6, 2014
Should veteran status be reserved for those who have deployed?
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This one has come up a lot in conversations with my peers and Soldiers: Should you be allowed to claim veterans status if you have never deployed?
Personally, I'm an ROTC graduate who chose to go straight into the ARNG in 2011, knowing full well that my chances to deploy would be next to none with the changing op tempo. Realistically, had I been actively searching out a deployment the whole time, I still may not have gotten one. I'm sure there are Soldiers out there who served honorably in a reserve component without deploying, despite their best efforts. So, for example, should a Soldier who completed basic training, had a clean service record, excelled in their peer group, but ultimately served 10 years as a reservist with no deployment and less than 180 days on non-ADT active service be prevented from calling themselves a veteran?
I have my own thoughts, but I'm more interesting in hearing your opinions. For clarification, I'm speaking more towards the legal definition of veterans status - even if the laws were changed here, there would still be an immense difference between a legal veteran and a legal veteran with several deployments, combat experience, decades on active duty, or a combination of all three.
Personally, I'm an ROTC graduate who chose to go straight into the ARNG in 2011, knowing full well that my chances to deploy would be next to none with the changing op tempo. Realistically, had I been actively searching out a deployment the whole time, I still may not have gotten one. I'm sure there are Soldiers out there who served honorably in a reserve component without deploying, despite their best efforts. So, for example, should a Soldier who completed basic training, had a clean service record, excelled in their peer group, but ultimately served 10 years as a reservist with no deployment and less than 180 days on non-ADT active service be prevented from calling themselves a veteran?
I have my own thoughts, but I'm more interesting in hearing your opinions. For clarification, I'm speaking more towards the legal definition of veterans status - even if the laws were changed here, there would still be an immense difference between a legal veteran and a legal veteran with several deployments, combat experience, decades on active duty, or a combination of all three.
Reserves
Army National Guard
Deployment
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 678
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I was at the VA the one day and since I was in during the mid-to-late eighties there was no real Combat deployment while I was in. I had some younger veterans that had been combat deployed giving me some crap and a Vietnam vet stepped up and ask them do you speak Russian and when they said no he told them to thank me! One of the few times I ever felt like a veteran and I was active duty honorably discharged.
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SPC Robert Coventry
PVT Mark Zehner I wish everyone felt that way I get the BS from Combat Vets I hire, then they can't hang and quit
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Gatekeeping: When someone takes it upon themselves to decide who does or does not have access or rights to a community or identity.
Anyone caught gatekeeping should be told to fuck off accordingly.
Anyone caught gatekeeping should be told to fuck off accordingly.
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A veteran is a veteran is a veteran period! If you signed on that line giving the Government the ability to cash that check for up to and including your life at any time, then you are a veteran...the only time that title is stripped is when you are dishonorably discharged and you have disgraced the uniform.
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SSG Steven Allen
1: Service Veteran
2: Wartime Veteran
Seems like common sense, but it is the Government.
2: Wartime Veteran
Seems like common sense, but it is the Government.
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Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth
PFC Kathleen Woolrich absolutely...if you were discharged with honorable discharge you are my sister warrior...period.
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That is pure Ramlatch.....you serve your time active reserve or guard you are a veteran END OF STORY. And wether you did combat or not that still applies. You stood ready to go THAT ALONE makes you a veteran! yOU wrote a check to the United states of America backed with your body and mind. That alone makes you someone extraordinary. You are and always will be a veteran wether out 1 day or 100 years you are still a veteran AND ALWAYS WILL BE.
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Dumbest thing I've read in a while!! A veteran is a veteran! Deployed or not.. My unit deployed 2 times in 4 years and they kept me back each time for my proficient work that I do.. so just because I'm to good at my job and wasn't able to deploy means I'm not a Vet?? Yeeeeaaaahhh Alright!!!
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IMHO anyone who serves their country honorably should be able to call themselves a Veteran. If you want to break it down in my view there are three types;
Veteran: anyone who served 4 years or 20 years, reserve or active makes no difference.
War time Veteran: anyone who served during a time of war, without acually deploying. Vietnam, GWOT.
Combat Vet: anyone that deployed into a combat zone.
As for Combat Soldiers vs "Fobbits" well that is a different topic. Not going to touch that one right now.
Veteran: anyone who served 4 years or 20 years, reserve or active makes no difference.
War time Veteran: anyone who served during a time of war, without acually deploying. Vietnam, GWOT.
Combat Vet: anyone that deployed into a combat zone.
As for Combat Soldiers vs "Fobbits" well that is a different topic. Not going to touch that one right now.
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PO2 (Join to see)
I don't think it takes away from anyone to make a distinction. I never spent a moment on a moving ship in 11 years, but I had friends that lost shipmates to accidents at sea. I did however deploy with the Marine infantry as a line corpsman, and I would say there is a difference. Not that the combat veteran is any more "veterany" than any other it's just a different experience. Now when it comes to legality outside of us, we are all veterans to the civilians.
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PO2 Jacob Schrier
I deployed to Iraq and Afgh from the navy as an individual augmentee so by definition that makes me a combat veteran. Even though I was in fobs and cops most of the time.
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I served nearly 5 years on active duty without a combat deployment. Upon ETS I enlisted in the ARNG. 10 months later I was recalled to active duty and deployed to Saudi Arabia for Desert Storm.
I had ZERO control over my assignments. I was a veteran before deployment, and a combat veteran afterward. So what?
I had ZERO control over my assignments. I was a veteran before deployment, and a combat veteran afterward. So what?
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Next they'll want to say you aren't a combat vet unless you were shot at or shot someone. Good grief! In this day of technology there are so many ways to contribute down range without leaving your home unit. Let's not forget all the 12 hour days/7 days a week people pull at home station while others are deployed.
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I'm proud to identify myself as a peace time veteran and I have big time respect for combat veterans.
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no absolutely not, did we forget the cold war, soldiers training for the fight against Russia but that never happened, they still did their jobs and where always ready to jump into the mix, why would we classify them as non vets because they weren't deployed, I agree that unless they suffered from injury or illness while serving their benefits should be different, but also the soldier deployed as a service/support element, unless their injury/illness was contracted while on deployment their still a vet regardless, there are many combat vets out there that never saw one bullet fired at them, but where out there when the shit hit the fan, they are combat vets due to the facts of the incident, whether it was direct or indirect fire, they are still vets but with different problems, but they are treated for those problems only, no pay due, service connected, anything else is their dime, unless rated 100%, so a veteran is a veteran irreguardless, the level of care depends on when it happened, how it happened and your duty status at the time and your location, whether you are a 20 year desk jockey or a one year combat vet we're all vets, get ride of the labels we all served
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