When are you a 'Veteran?'

2015-04-07T12:22:36-04:00

At what point after you join the military - any branch, are you considered a 'Veteran?' Must deployment be part of it? How many years or months or days of service? Are there different 'levels' of Veterans?

Response by SSgt Joe V. made Apr 7 at 2015 12:24 PM

2015-04-07T12:24:52-04:00

My opinion may not be the norm, but I think if you make it through AIT/Tech School/Whatever your branch calls it, then you have reached a status that is deserving of the title Veteran. Put another way, once you are in your specialty, you are serving to your full capacity, and therefore are a Vet IMHO...

Response by CSM Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 7 at 2015 12:24 PM

2015-04-07T12:24:56-04:00

You are a veteran the day you swear in at MEPS.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Apr 7 at 2015 1:10 PM

2015-04-07T13:10:58-04:00

There is the 'official' guidelines (Department of Veterans Affairs), and there is the perceived point.

Officially, 24 months in, assuming you are not injured and discharged prior to that. "We break you, we bought you." However, the second you swear/affirm the Oath, and ship to Initial Training, you are a Veteran.

Now, the VA uses A LOT of caveats to denote types of Veterans. They are merely administrative in nature, and should be treated as such. These include Combat Veteran (someone who went to a combat zone), Disabled Veteran (someone rated with a 0% or greater disability), Special Disabled Veteran (someone with a 30% or higher rating), "Era" Veteran (served during a Conflict Period, or "Wartime" service, as compared to "Peacetime" service.), Permanent & Total (P&T), etc. None of these caveats make any type of veteran more special than another, they just denote 'benefits' strictly for administrative purposes.

As for deployment, it's not a requirement to be a Veteran, however it is generally a requirement for Combat Veteran, though someone stationed (PCS) in a country can gain that status as well (think permanent personnel in Middle East) .

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 7 at 2015 1:20 PM

2015-04-07T13:20:15-04:00

I have a hard time embracing the title of "Veteran" for myself because I grew up going to the Legion Hall with my grandpa and had the understanding that Veteran = Combat Veteran. Therefore, due to the fact that I haven't deployed yet, I am not comfortable referring to myself as a Veteran yet.

Again, this is a personal hang up, and not one I direct at others (just myself).

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 7 at 2015 7:46 PM

2015-04-07T19:46:44-04:00

To me you are not a veteran until you finish both Basic training and AIT. Why should anyone give that title to you if you can't even finish training. In my opinion, if someone goes to Basic training for a couple of weeks or drops out during AIT they did not actually serve their country or do anything productive for the Army. This opinion is of course for people that just quit or have so many discipline problems they get forced out. If someone got hurt in Basic or AIT during some type of training (not from doing it on purpose or being dumb) then that is different because to me they wanted to serve they just got hurt.

Response by Col Valerie Taylor made Sep 26 at 2020 10:51 PM

2020-09-26T22:51:38-04:00

A veteran is a person who has served in the military. Use the standard government definition and it will keep down confusion and keep down allegations that may not be nice or lawful... that are seemingly base on "what one thinks". Just a little safety net from my Federal Goventment HR career...