Posted on Mar 17, 2021
SPC William Sloan
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I served in desert shield/storm as an army cook for a tank battalion. I never had to participate in any combat myself but was in the combat zones. Would I be considered a combat veteran just for being in the combat zones?
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1LT Rich Voss
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Well, Specialist, I'm going to pass your question along to some guys you may have served with. I belong to a group of tankers spanning from the 60's through your time and even more current. Heck, one of my many duties in Germany was BN Mess Officer. Army moves on it's stomach, or so it's said. If my comrades consider you a combat veteran, I will too.
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PFC Matt Ochmanski
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You never went out of the the wire, you never, shot a round, but you were there! On the front lines or in the rear with the gear feeding our brothers and sisters! You were boots on the ground in a Hazardous duty area/Combat Zone! Welcome to Suck. We all did our job where every we got sent! You’re lucky you weren’t in a convoy to the frontlines to assist with feeding frontline troops and having to setup under fire! You sir were in a area that had combat actions in your area of operation, Combat Veteran!
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SrA Pavements and Construction Equipment (DirtBoyz)
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No! I’m in the same boat from both Iraq and Afghanistan but would never consider myself a combat vet. I’ve been on the receiving end of rockets and ballistic missiles but that’s not combat.
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SSG Security Officer
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The definition of "participate in combat". There are a lot of things that a SM can go through that is pretty much only native to combat zones. Like having to put on all of your gear and run to a bunker because of a rocket just hit the base and more are incoming, helping send out attack helicopters to find whoever is firing rockets at the base, helping offload a helicopter that contains burned up bloody bodies, being a guard watch for dead bodies so in coming CIA can come to identify whether one of the dead bodies was the "number 2 guy" or not. etc etc etc...

Take a guess how I know all these are possible combat zones ;)
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MSG Terry Lingle
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I served in Korea in 1969 on the DMZ with an Infantry battalion and received combat pay during that battalion’s regular rotation there. I was a clerk in the battalion S-1 and didn’t go on patrols or serve on any of the guard posts. I have never been shot at nor have I fired my assigned weapon in anything other than qualification or familiarization. I have never been in a firefight nor feared that I might be. I am not and would never claim to be a combat veteran.
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SGT Frank-John Limiero
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I have the utmost respect for all those who entered the military. Having served in actual combat my interpretation of that means means a war fighter. Many writers here have a different idea of those who laid back supporting a warfighter and those that did the actual fighting. Regulations have given much glory to those many. Not my idea of a Combat Vet. Unless you were a war fighter who played your part in engagement with an enemy, fired on or was fired at, received wounds, fought alongside a follow combatants, unintentionally caught in friendly fire, saw the remains of your deceased brothers and closed their eyes after their demise, all the regulations mean little to those who yearned to do the job they couldn't or didn't.. Let yourself be the one to decide if you were really a COMBAT VET!
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SPC William Wilson
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Yes you would.
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CPT Senior Instructor
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This is a unique distinction. When we say combat vet it usually implies we were on combat. Just about everyone believes that a combat vet was in actual combat. That's not always the case. I think the Army did a better job at this when they made "C" device on ribbons for those that serviced in combat. If you were serving in today's Army under the same circumstance then you would have got the "C" device. Now I would caution to dispel anyone that thinks you were in gun fights. I have known some Soldiers that boosted of service and let others believe that they were more engaged in combat than what actually happened.
https://www.army.mil/article/184881/new_combat_related_devices_authorized_for_decorations
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SGT Frank-John Limiero
SGT Frank-John Limiero
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Sounds like you understand there is a difference. I hope that the military does!
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SGT Frank-John Limiero
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You decide if you were a combatant. Many who weren’t wish they were for the glory sake...
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SGT Frank-John Limiero
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How much of a combat warfighter is that. A pot and a spoon can't kill those trying to kill you. Thanks for the meals real war fighters never get to eat.
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SFC Casey O'Mally
SFC Casey O'Mally
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Sounds like you had a pretty shitty Chain of Command. I have never been on a deployment where the "real warfighters" didn't get a hot meal every now and then. Sometimes not at all for a week or so, but they still got them.
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