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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Someone wants to change the dictionaries of the world? How pompous is that
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If U Dnt' leave MY country, to B in harms way, NO VFW Membership.......Most country's can be dangerous.... Just in the "gards"? NO!
Were the rules from the beginning...Why change?
Another thing that Pe s me off "they Didn't call my #....
2 YEARS MIN. EVERY ONE!!! Or U don't "deserve what U'r DEMANDING from the GOV.
U ASK, I GAVE.......
Were the rules from the beginning...Why change?
Another thing that Pe s me off "they Didn't call my #....
2 YEARS MIN. EVERY ONE!!! Or U don't "deserve what U'r DEMANDING from the GOV.
U ASK, I GAVE.......
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if you served honorably, you are a veteran, if you saw combat as well, you are a combat veteran... period
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YES AND I BELONG TO VETERANS OF ALL ERAS IN PENNSYLVANIA I DID BELONG TO THE VFW AND AMERICAN LEGION TILL THEY TOLLD ME THAT THEY WAS NOT DOING ANYTHING FOR THE VETERANS THAT SERVED IN 9VIETNAM0 SO THEN I JOINED THE VVA AND VETERANS OF THE VIETNAM WAR
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Is this a serious question? You signed the dotted line and we all raised our right hand and, "Swore to uphold and defend the Conbstitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic." Apx. 90% of all the military services combined, do not get into a shooting war, but those who do, try doing your job without those sealifing, airlifting and air supporting your job. Just because you may not have been shot at, does not mean you haven't gone in harm's way. Try overflying the Soviet Union on their northern border after flying over the north pole in the middle of winter, or descend to 1000' below sea level where the sea is crushing your submarine at 31 times the pressure of an average car tire. Neither one of these individuals got shot at, but may have been intercepted by PVO Straney with AAM-9 missles, or a Delta class submarine. As an infantryman, you get shot, one rifle goes out of action. Knock out 20 warriors in a rear echelon logistics base, and a battalion or brigade doesn't get any ammunition or food. Where do you think a strategist should target? Everyone is subject to worldwide deployment to whereever needed!
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I was in the Army Reserves and was activated to deploy as a combat engineer, my wife was pregnant, the house I was building by myself was half done and of course I had to leave my job. During training there was a bad bus accident on way to the ranges, many soldiers permanently hurt so the unit was under strength. Rather than deploying the unit of combat engineers were used to run ranges, teach classes, unload the RR cars of returning vehicles, etc. We were not happy with our non-deployable status and we were not happy being used for what ever job they wanted us to do but we are veterans. We showed up because they called with the intention of being the "tip of the spear" having been told that it would be heavy casualties(we were training prior to initial invasion of Iraq). We may not have deployed but if you are on active duty at a time of war you are a veteran.
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All of us who signed the dotted line are Veterans, with that said there is such thing as a combat veteran. Your status as a combat veteran can afford you additional benefits if you have certain awards, i.e Purple Heart, campaign medal, etc. But in the end we who served are veterans
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At this time in history we have a lot of deployments, I was in at a time just after Vietnam I was never in a hostile area but I did get injured on the job, some 20 surgeries later I still have issues am I not a veteran because I was not deployed? Those that sign up and serve have the same risks of being sent into a hostile area based on there branch of service and job. Those that deploy get additional ribbons. For example the marines most would be veterans but not many air force would, don’t think you would like being out there today without our superior air support and the drone drivers are not on that side of the world how many lives they saved. I have heard “cannon fodder” make statements like you have in the past mostly in the hospital where I spent several years prior to being forced out.
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To me as a retiree, I do feel that a “Veteran” status is a Service member who served for six years or longer. For Service members who only served 3 years or less should not be labeled a veteran for that fact that the first year is basically training, the second year is adjusting to active duty life and after its all said and done the last year of a 3 year tour is transitioning out of service. So to me to be called a veteran should at least complete 6 years to 8 years of service. This is my opinion. A lot of individuals just come in for 1 term and get out. The military as a whole should start enlistment terms at 6 years no less.
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