Should veteran status be reserved for those who have deployed?

All who served are veterans. Some are combat vets and some aren't. We all trained to the same standard in our given jobs to carry out or support the same mission - defending the U.S.

Maybe we shouldn't give it to people who always managed to avoid deployments, but we ought not withhold it from those who never had the opportunity to deploy.

Everyone who served is a Veteran those that have been in the Combat theater are Combat Veterans and they have the VFW if they want to hang out with other Combat Vets only. the rest of us have the American Legion if someone wants to feel like noncombat Vets are not vets they can go to the VFW But even there the Vets will tell them you serve you are a Vet. And I have never heard any Veteran EVER say to me or another Vet that did not see combat that we were not Veterans. The Combat Vets I've run into even when in BHOST say "be glad you never saw combat" and " you are one of us, you are a Brother" So I don't know where you are hearing that scuttle butt but that's just what that is Scuttle Butt.

Why ask this? All you have to do is look up what makes a veteran, peoples opinions do not matter!

If you served on active duty ! You are a veteran ! What kind of moronic ,window licking, pole smoking , crack monster even breached this topic ? Youre mother must have beat you for you to be so stupid !

I respect anybody who served. I was in during that wierd time. Where we were still fighting the Cold War. With hot War zones to. Most people dont understand the Cold War wasn't cold. Every day we acted and did things that risked lives. Plus risked turning the Cold War hot. When things finally come out. Some of our most dangerous mission's took place during the Cold War. Nobody will ever get credit for those combat mission's. Even though they should. If you served you are a Veteran. End of Story.

My honest opinion ? All gave some, some gave all ! What I think we should focus more on are those who commit stolen valor . I hate that crap with a passion.

Combat is the determining factor for vet status?
How about sub service? Those guys were at crush depth,put through live scenario drills at all times.Or my bfothers in SAR squadrons in the Navy or Coast Guard?
How many combat soldiers were jumping into rolling seas in 40 degree water ?
Flight decks aren't vet status worthy?
Hell you say. Crab fisherman are a close second to a busy flight deck op.
My MCM community loses helos and crew at one of the highest rates in aviation.
19 brothers, of them clise friends in tge span of 5 years.
Flew aboard an MH 53E heading to Fujirah in a heavy sand storm and we almost dropped outta the sky due to lift conditionsdead air. While deployed to the middle east.
Yeah, Combat is the determinating factor.
Lastly, was in the Philippines in 88-91.
Witnessed two airforce kids killed by a hit squad in AC ,was in CalJam when two Subic stationed Marines were poisoned by a bar girl. List my skipper in an Fclp accident. Yeah, they're not vets......
Danger is not discriminate only to "combat".
Mad respect to my combat tested brothers and sisters,but what is more dangerous? That which is assumed ,or unassumed ?
Your service ,no matter how mundane, insignificant you may have thought, might have been the key component to a combat mission's survival.
Remember, the most important man in a cooks kitchen is the diswasher.
Proud of all of you.

'86-'89 I was a regular Army truck driver and I was a Vet, plain and simple. Got back into active duty '92 as 11b and was deployed a few times, I'm now a combat vet. There you go.

It doesn't matter whether you deployed or not you wrote the check saying that you would lay down your life for this country as someone that has deployed and retired from the military . I see no difference between me and my friends that didn't. my card got pulled theirs didn't I actually think it's great when someone has made a career out of their chosen branch and never got deployed I consider that person to A very lucky veteran!!!!!

I've served 7 years in the ARNG, and continue to serve, and I do not consider myself a veteran.

So you support division? You are the stupidest person I have ever seen post on this site. Go away, and join a divided country.

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...

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.

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

Shaking my head, trying to understand who comes up with this shit.

Just because the ship I served on wasn't torpedoed, doesn't mean it couldn't have been. I am a proud Navy veteran.

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

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!

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