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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If you serve during peacetime, you still give up a lot in your personal life to do so. It's not a nine to five job. You have given yourself to the country to be a protector of it. A cop is still a cop just because he never shot someone. All who joined, volunteeered knowing they could possibly have to fight. That is something that should be recognized by your country.
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Regular AF here, 1976-80. Served two years RoK in socalled peacetime. Granted, media coverage was nothing like today, but apsrt from the ace murders at the DMZ, my friends in Red Horse were shot at. That’s why they carried the Army’s workload. That’s peacetime. You do not know who is subject to what hostilities, or when.
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Yes! I am hear to help in anyway possible. No
Matter how many jobs in any categories, Ready Always
Matter how many jobs in any categories, Ready Always
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No offense but this seems like a dumb ass question. Anyone who raised their right hand and swore the oath and served their time is a veteran. If they personally don’t “feel” like a veteran it means they’re a veteran and a milch toast. Some of my best mentors in the service were Vietnam era vets who spent years in Germany and the only thing they knew about Nam were rhe names of their dead friends. Three of my favorite platoon sergeant’s were all combat vets from Vietnam, 3 guys = 8 years in country.
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I spent 24 years in the Navy. Seven of my nine duty stations were overseas (including forward deployed on an admiral's staff). The other two were on a carrier that made two Med cruises in the two years I was onboard and an admiral's staff deployed on a ship out of Hawaii. I was at a command that had three military attached, a command that had six military attached and a joint command that had 12 or 13 military attached. Some commands had no military privileges (commissary, housing, medical, etc). In the 24 years, I was in the States less than two years counting my leave time. If I am not a veteran, what am I?
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First you should check with the Veterans Administration to see what their description of a veteran is. As far as I am concernered everyone who signs the contract and raises their hand to take the oath and serves the minimum as defined by the VA is a veteran. When you volunteer you understand that while you may never lesve CONUS on a deployment you are available for anything that comes down from on high. Obviously if you recieve a less than honorable discharge you may forfeit that honor. If you have not been deployed to a war zone you probably would not be eligible for membership in the VFW.
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I spent (according to my retirement orders) 40 years in the military, Army three years with two tours in Vietnam, and 38 years in the Air Force with a deployment for Desert Storm. The term Veteran applies to all who served in any capacity in the military. After Desert Storm I went reserve till I retired. It doesn’t matter what you did or how long you did it, you are willing to do whatever you need to do to keep our country safe. That’s a Veteran.
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Everyone who signed their name on that paper, completed boot camp and went to their first duty station is a Veteran. One never knew when the call would go out for deployment - for some, it came and for others it did not. That person is still and always will be a VETERAN!!!
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CPO Ira Fenstermacher
Sorry AA Silvarahawk: My brother signed his name on the paper and completed boot camp. He then received a honorable discharge while awaiting orders to his "first duty station." He is a veteran because he is buried in a VA cemetery.
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No it should not. For the very reasons you stated. We signed on the dotted line.
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