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've served 7 years in the ARNG, and continue to serve, and I do not consider myself a veteran.
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MCPO Roger Collins
What would it take to become a veteran as determined by the VA and common usage of the term?
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I joined the Army in 1983, right after Urgent Fury. In 1991, I was sent to Fort Irwin to train the national guard for Desert Storm. In 2003, my first deployment was cancelled literally on the runway. If I had chosen to retire then would I be a "veteran"? Of course I would have been. I wasn't entitled to wear a FWTS patch but I was a veteran none the less. I left out deployments around the world to support contingency operations and training with our allies but those weren't "combat".
Fast forward ten years and I was on my third deployment to SWA and my third FWTS patch with six overseas service bars, my ID card now says retired, not veteran. I get to go to the VA but do does a six week s of service, njured in basic training, medically discharged, former private...
Fast forward ten years and I was on my third deployment to SWA and my third FWTS patch with six overseas service bars, my ID card now says retired, not veteran. I get to go to the VA but do does a six week s of service, njured in basic training, medically discharged, former private...
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Being a veteran is something that you earn the day you serve selflessly for your country. Do all jobs do the same thing? No.
You're a vet if you served (plenty).
You're a vet if you deployed to a non-combat environment (lots).
You're a vet if you deployed to a combat environment but never fired a round in an attempt to preserve your life or the lives of those around you (most).
You're a combat vet if you slung lead on behalf of those to your left/right (few).
Period.
You're a vet if you served (plenty).
You're a vet if you deployed to a non-combat environment (lots).
You're a vet if you deployed to a combat environment but never fired a round in an attempt to preserve your life or the lives of those around you (most).
You're a combat vet if you slung lead on behalf of those to your left/right (few).
Period.
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Yes you are a Veteran. If you raised your right hand and signed the line then it doesn't matter if you Deployed to a "Combat" zone. Like PO1 Nagel said you were able to go anywhere at anytime so YES you are a veteran
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Just because the ship I served on wasn't torpedoed, doesn't mean it couldn't have been. I am a proud Navy veteran.
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If you never served on active duty for more than 180 days consecutive. You will not get VA BENEFITS,the VA will turn you away.
Other than that, you are a Vet
Other than that, you are a Vet
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Any man/woman that donned the uniform of this great country and served deserves to be called a veteran. Enough people disrespect the military as it is. We don't need to separate into groups of infighting. A Desert Shield/Storm-Somalia Vet!
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A lot of times I see others who have deployed simply add the identifier "combat" in front of veteran if any clarification is ever needed which, other than for the VFW, is usually not
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