Should veteran status be reserved for those who have deployed?

If you were sworn in and vowed that you would protect our country against all enemies both foreign and domestic then you are a Veteran.

A combat veteran is generally one who has a military record indicating they received Hostile Fire Pay, or were deployed to and served in a combat zone.

I believe the original period was 180 days sustained in the Combat Zone. The individual had to be serving in an Infantry Unit and he or she had to be an 11B

Bottom line is you are all Veterans!

Personally I am getting a little tired of seeing this come up in some form or another. Why are people constantly trying to cause dissension in the ranks and among the members. That rear guy is not protected if not for the front line guy, and that front line guy can’t do his job without the support and supplies from the rear guy. Stop making this about “I” and realize it took a whole lot more than “you” to complete the mission. All of those were Veterans.

No : because a “deployment” to Qatar or Djibouti isn’t much different then getting sent to Drum or Irwin. Probably safer too .

If you serve and was discharge with a honorable discharge and serve more than,(I think 120 days) you are a vet. While you are serving there is always a chance you may be deployed. You are there ready to defend your country. If the military doesn’t give you orders to deploy that is no fault of the soldier.

Deployed to where? Hawaii, Alaska both are OCONUS deployments. If you receive an honorable discharge, you more than likely gave up some of the best years of your life to serve the country and therefore deserve Veteran status.

I believe if you served over 180 days in the Active duty Army you are considered a Veteran. I remember when Nixon was President, he gave the National Guard enlistee a year off their obligation. That may have been done for a reason, because of the Federal call ups for the USPS strike. It squeezed the ARNG and RES, too close to the 180+ day for GI benefits. Too many things to remember from too many years ago. I was a veteran when I joined the guard.

I am a 32 year Veteran with multiple deployments. In my years of Service I have seen many many deaths of our Military brothers and sisters during TRAINING. While we always do our best to mitigate the dangers of training we also have to train as we fight and that introduces an element danger that can be difficult but certainly not impossible to mitigate. Military personnel in all branches are often subjected too brutal and dangerous jobs even while not deployed. Aviators for instance fly thousands of hours in TRAINING for their entire careers. The dangers of flying does not lessen because they are flying at home as opposed to flying in combat. Although combat, as with any military duty does add an increased element of danger.

So in my estimation based on over 3 decades of service I would say most certainly ANY member whether they worked in supply or special operations deserves the distinction of being a veteran no matter if they deployed. Although you also have to understand that those who do and did deploy get a separate distinction as a combat Veteran as opposed to a garrison Veteran. It is a distinction that is well deserved as well. From the day you donated your life to the Military, you were one order from being sent to combat. Makes no difference that you didn't go either.

Yes, it should. Stateside service is basically a civilian job.
I'd also allow no disability rating unless the injury received a Purple Heart. We've all seen too many examples of bogus "disability."

Your "peers and soldiers" are idiots!
A Veteran is anyone who served in ANY of the US Armed Forces at ANY time, in ANY place they were sent. In that group are "Combat" Veterans and "Peacetime" Veterans, but they were all built to the same standards to perform the same job; Cosmic Timing is the only variable.

Your "peers and soldiers" are idiots!
A Veteran is anyone who served in ANY of the US Armed Forces at ANY time, in ANY place they were sent. In that group are "Combat" Veterans and "Peacetime" Veterans, but they were all built to the same standards to perform the same job; Cosmic Timing is the only variable.