While I have respect for all veterans, do you ever get the feeling that most combat veterans feel above most if not all non combat veterans?

PO3 James Carter — Wed, 25 May 2016 20:33:26 -0400

Response by SGM Erik Marquez made May 25 at 2016 8:34 PM

SGM Erik Marquez — Wed, 25 May 2016 20:34:20 -0400

"do you ever get the feeling that most combat veterans feel above most if not all non combat veterans?"
NO

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made May 25 at 2016 9:03 PM

Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 25 May 2016 21:03:15 -0400

No not really. The term combat veteran is pretty broad anyway. There is a difference between a combat veteran and a veteran that has been in combat. Technically I am considered one for 200 overflights in combat theater and a 6 month stint at Balad, but I never been directly engaged in combat.

If anything I usually get some vets that were in real combat concede that they would have done something different. On rare occasions I do hear someone shoot their mouths off of how superior it was to be in combat. They usually turn out to be an Xbox combat veteran.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made May 25 at 2016 9:15 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Wed, 25 May 2016 21:15:54 -0400

I don't have a problem with it if they looked down the Dragons Throat so to speak, I've never had anyone shoot at me and that is a good thing. Now I have had someone try and blow me up but their timing sucked the Bomb went off an hour early, Damn It!

Response by MSgt Steven Holt, NRP, CCEMT-P made May 25 at 2016 10:16 PM

MSgt Steven Holt, NRP, CCEMT-P — Wed, 25 May 2016 22:16:08 -0400

Personally, I have equal respect for ANY member who has honorably worn the uniform. If a person was SOF or the supply clerk who never left a state-side base makes no difference to me.

Response by CPT John Sheridan made May 25 at 2016 11:21 PM

CPT John Sheridan — Wed, 25 May 2016 23:21:57 -0400

I guess that I can offer this anecdote. After returning to Fort Hood from Desert Storm, my unit went through inactivation (44th Chemical Company, 2 AD - 2 AD was inactivating). My company was attached for this period to a support battalion that did not go to the desert. In a meeting, with the battalion officers, there were only a couple of us that had combat patches. The topic brought us to a point in discussion where lessons learned from the Gulf War came up. Everyone was really holding back until I finally told them that they shouldn't think of us as having some special aura about us that makes us better. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and opened up after that.

If you think the combat vets feel that way, you are most likely wrong, but if you are right with regard to an individual, it's their problem to get over and not yours.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 26 at 2016 12:42 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 26 May 2016 00:42:44 -0400

I've seen it. Just as I've seen non combat vets a.k.a. Slick Sleeves have some odd inferiority complex around combat vets.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 26 at 2016 12:48 AM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 26 May 2016 00:48:56 -0400

PO3 James Carter I am a combat veteran, and so what. I have respect for all veterans, unless their actions or words lose my respect. There may be a few combat veterans that do not respect non-combat veterans, but this is probably a very small percentage. I can not think of any MOS that is not important in the overall mission.

Response by SPC Brian Mason made May 26 at 2016 1:45 AM

SPC Brian Mason — Thu, 26 May 2016 01:45:52 -0400

I'm a Veteran (68W) but I'm not going around bragging about it, In fact, I'd rather not talk about it. Being deployed sucked for the most part and I do mean Sucked. I don't feel superior, but when I hear some dimwit going on about being Combat when they are 'Combat' in title only b/c of the name of their MOS, they can all stop right there, regardless of rank. Medics get the same skills as EMT-B's during AIT and then some. Civilian EMT's don't get soldier training.
Until a soldier deploys to a combat zone, they and whomever is reading this, are NOT combat. You'll learn the real difference when rounds are hitting so close to you that stuff gets kicked up. Maybe an explosion or a few that rocks your brain bucket so you're partially deaf for a few days. Maybe even fire some rounds or so back at the moron trying to kill you. Then you can be Combat.

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made May 26 at 2016 2:18 AM

SCPO Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 26 May 2016 02:18:12 -0400

No, I do not. Are there some? Probably. Is there a difference between someone who has served in combat and one who has not? Of course. You drive a Ford, I drive a Chevy. We both drive trucks.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made May 26 at 2016 2:19 AM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 26 May 2016 02:19:52 -0400

Most Combat Vets have a unique perspective on life. Most, if not all, have " cheated the hangman " so don't mistake that aloofness for arrogance. Its not a conscious effort by the combat vet. The only way you will be able to shake that feeling of all combat vets seem like they are above you, is to experience combat yourself. I will guarantee your will feel very fortunate, not above anyone, just fortunate.

Response by Sgt Christopher Wenzel made May 26 at 2016 7:44 AM

Sgt Christopher Wenzel — Thu, 26 May 2016 07:44:19 -0400

When I was stationed MARSOC, I usually had day to day interaction with the CSOs. While you had the 'overly zealous warfighter' who tried to reduce your opinion/argument to dust or demean you, most combat types respect what you did or don't care. Just as long as you're real with them and not try to pretend to be something you're not.

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made May 26 at 2016 8:31 AM

Cpl Justin Goolsby — Thu, 26 May 2016 08:31:37 -0400

Not particularly. Everyone ends their service differently. Some people continue to live and breathe the military while others ball their uniform up and toss it in the deepest corner of their closet never to speak of it again. I've been friends with both grunts and POGs, officers and enlisted. We might joke around with each other about which is better, but it's always in good fun. I've never met anyone both actively serving or no longer serving who has looked down on me for not being a combat veteran.

Response by MSgt Michael Smith made May 26 at 2016 9:36 AM

MSgt Michael Smith — Thu, 26 May 2016 09:36:34 -0400

There should not be a distinguishing feature between the two. None of the charities nor the VA make any kind of distinction between combat and non-combat, so it must be the actual vets that make that distinction, and personally I have never encountered any of that.

Response by CMSgt Donald Felch made May 26 at 2016 1:29 PM

CMSgt Donald Felch — Thu, 26 May 2016 13:29:20 -0400

Thank-you for asking.
No--and a few other minor points:
1. Combat is hard to define. I could say more but it would be a book, not a discussion thread response.
2. Most vets of direct, close-up interaction with enemy forces are very humble.
3. Everyone deals with their experiences (combat or lack of combat) in their own way.