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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Once you give the DoD your ass, you know it can do whatever it wants with it. Whether or not it actually sends you somewhere is just a matter of chance.
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1LT(P) (Join to see)
veteran
[ˈvedərən, ˈvetrən]
NOUN
a person who has had long experience in a particular field.
synonyms:
retired soldier · old hand · old-timer · old stager · past master · doyen · authority · master · grandmaster · master hand · expert · virtuoso · maestro · pro · ace · [more]
a person who has served in the military.
"a veteran of two world wars"
As I understand the term Veterans would be your most experienced people. JMTC
veteran
[ˈvedərən, ˈvetrən]
NOUN
a person who has had long experience in a particular field.
synonyms:
retired soldier · old hand · old-timer · old stager · past master · doyen · authority · master · grandmaster · master hand · expert · virtuoso · maestro · pro · ace · [more]
a person who has served in the military.
"a veteran of two world wars"
As I understand the term Veterans would be your most experienced people. JMTC
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I enlisted in the Army reserves during my high school years and upon graduation, served six months for basic tng and the Armor School at Ft. Knox, Ky. That was during the Cuban Missile Crisis. In 1961, I enlisted in the Regular Army, went to Missile Equipment Repair school at Ft Belvoir, Va and then to Ft Bliss, Tx for Hawk tng after which I was sent to Germany and served on a Hawk missile site for two years. During that time, President Kennedy was killed and again, the world was on a war footing for a while. Prior to my deployment back to the States, I was given the re-up talk by my BC and volunteered to extend for a year to serve in Viet Nam. My BC told me to take my wife and new baby girl home. I've always considered myself a veteran. I served where I was sent and did my job to the best of my abilities.
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Even not deployed- you were a number, among many others that never deployed, that kept others from attacking us.
You may have never left our soil, but your presence protected us from invasion.
Thanks, veteran.
You may have never left our soil, but your presence protected us from invasion.
Thanks, veteran.
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All candidates for United States military service are veterans. The OATH OF SERVICE declares the status as veteran as long as you have served our Nation. We gave our oath without condition to serve and protect our fellow citizens, those in authority over us, the Constitution and the President of the United States.
I served as a US Air National Guardsman for eight years. Most of that time was spent as a "full time airman" training recruits to posses a military skill set with which the officers and airman would be ready for "call up" should they be needed. As a First Sergeant and for a time as the Sergeant Major of a Group with four squadrons and two flights made up of about 1,000 men my overview of responsibility was to be part of the team preparing our Group to be Operationally Ready should we be called upon by our Commander and Chief (THE PRESIDENT). [It was our privilege to perform at a readiness level above that of our Air Force counterparts each summer during the "active duty" unit training deployment.]
I served as a US Air National Guardsman for eight years. Most of that time was spent as a "full time airman" training recruits to posses a military skill set with which the officers and airman would be ready for "call up" should they be needed. As a First Sergeant and for a time as the Sergeant Major of a Group with four squadrons and two flights made up of about 1,000 men my overview of responsibility was to be part of the team preparing our Group to be Operationally Ready should we be called upon by our Commander and Chief (THE PRESIDENT). [It was our privilege to perform at a readiness level above that of our Air Force counterparts each summer during the "active duty" unit training deployment.]
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During the Cuban missile crisis my Infantry Company was sent to perimeter defense of an Alaskan missile site. It was a warm 6 degrees outside. We locked and loaded, locked in our machine guns and spent 5 days waiting for the Russian parachutes to fall. Ready for combat in every way.
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There are three definitions of the word veteran. The legal one. You signed up you served you got a discharge your a veteran. Generally accepted one, you’re signed up you lived up to your contract wehn you. Got out you lived up to the contacts and standards that we think of when we say the American military. The arrogant one. I’m at Frontline soldier and if you’re not Frontline soldiers then you’re not as neat and important as me. I am a fighter pilot and I do the job everybody else is support. My answer to these are bullshit. If you’re not a Navy seal that also has a green beret and Air Force special operations badge, +1000 hours of combat flight then shut up. When I was on flight status I loaded the guns and the pilot pulled the trigger neither of us could’ve done it without the other when I was on the ground I was a mechanic and I made the best plane available to each crew that came to me for one. When I was asssign to a Marine unit as an Air Force enlisted man I did my best to try and keep up with these guys they respected me for it and excepted me for it. I didn’t try and do anything beyond my abilities, and they excepted my abilities and make the best use of them.
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We are all dumber now having read that question. To insinuate that one is not deserving of that title because they simply didn’t deploy would leave the majority of living “people who served” out of having the honor of the title that defines the fact hat they said “I’ll do it!!” When most don’t. Next question.
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