Posted on Aug 24, 2017
There is Only One Measuring Stick to Veteran Status
61.1K
698
139
203
203
0
I find it very sad when there are some veterans who say that they don’t feel like veterans - that they don’t feel as if they earned the title because of a lack of certain experiences, awards, or schools. I would like to come forward right now and explain why this entire idea is absolute bullshit.
First, and possibly the most detrimental of these make-believe qualifiers to “be a veteran”, is the idea that the title is only bestowed upon someone that has endured the hardship of deployment or combat. I would like to say that this is not so. If this were truly a largely held belief, then there would be hundreds or thousands of men and women that have honorably worn a uniform and served that would not be considered veterans. Combat is its very own beast.
There are periods of our nation’s history where there was no war for decades, but we still had to maintain a readily available force in order to defend ourselves and deter our enemies. These men and women are just as much veterans as the gruff Marine who has done five tours to the sandbox.
It is not someone’s personal choice that prevents him or her from experiencing the horrors of combat (although for some, they have had the choice and power to stay away from the ordeal). This is dictated by higher commands, ordered to be done by certain units at certain times, and for the young Soldier, Marine, Seaman, Airman, or Coastie, it is pretty much a luck of the draw and out of their control. I don’t know of a single branch manager that would give a crap about some lowly private requesting a particular assignment. Sorry kid, but the needs of that 16-year Sergeant First Class are way higher on the list of priorities.
Second, the idea that a lack of awards or professional recognition somehow makes you less deserving of the title of veteran. I often hear this come from friends of mine that happen to bring awards up in conversation; it doesn’t happen often, but it has happened. Namely with a close friend of mine that served in the Army Reserves. Not only did he never deploy, which of course makes him not claim his veteran status, but he also has remarked that even if he does allow himself to be a veteran, that he is somehow lesser than those of us who have a little more color on our chests. I say that this is possibly even more ridiculous than the combat crap.
Awards are a great way to tell where someone has been, what they have done, and where they stand in a kind of hierarchy when it comes to peer groups. They are a resume that can be worn on your uniform and nothing more. I can tell how far someone is in their professional development as an NCO by seeing how many Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbons someone has. I can use the information gathered by seeing someone’s campaign medals and overseas service ribbons to see how many times they have been to combat and perhaps if they have served in Germany. I had a friend that had a star on his Airborne Wings; he had participated in one of the only combat jumps into Iraq in the past decade or so. None of these make someone more qualified to be a veteran though. These are just things they have done since they came in; stories that they can tell other veterans while they sit at the VFW and tell their war stories. That is all.
Lastly, “I’m not a real veteran if I didn’t do something ‘cool’.” This one is what leads those poor, underappreciated kids to don their old ACUs, go grab some badges from the local army surplus store, and parade around telling everyone that they were Ranger SEAL Snipers. Everyone is a veteran who served in the US military - not just special forces... it takes all types.
The military does not work without us all. A scout cannot use his M3A3 if the mechanics don’t fix it everytime it breaks. The radios in my truck don’t work properly when I try to call for fire if the commo guys aren’t there to make sure retrains works and that the fill is properly encoded. That combat outpost will go black on water, food, ammunition, and fuel if the 88Ms don’t come rolling through every few days with LogPac. Not everyone can be the super cool Delta Force Operator, but everyone can play a small role in a very large picture. The machine fails if one portion of it fails. Everyone needs to remember that.
If you raised your right hand and took the oath, laced up your boots and put on your uniform. If you did two years and ETS’d or retired with 20 plus. If you were injured or broken somehow and received a medical discharge. If your DD214 says anything other than “Dishonorable” in block 24, you, my friend, are a veteran. You are my brother, my friend, and my family, and I don’t care what any other moron has to say about it.
First, and possibly the most detrimental of these make-believe qualifiers to “be a veteran”, is the idea that the title is only bestowed upon someone that has endured the hardship of deployment or combat. I would like to say that this is not so. If this were truly a largely held belief, then there would be hundreds or thousands of men and women that have honorably worn a uniform and served that would not be considered veterans. Combat is its very own beast.
There are periods of our nation’s history where there was no war for decades, but we still had to maintain a readily available force in order to defend ourselves and deter our enemies. These men and women are just as much veterans as the gruff Marine who has done five tours to the sandbox.
It is not someone’s personal choice that prevents him or her from experiencing the horrors of combat (although for some, they have had the choice and power to stay away from the ordeal). This is dictated by higher commands, ordered to be done by certain units at certain times, and for the young Soldier, Marine, Seaman, Airman, or Coastie, it is pretty much a luck of the draw and out of their control. I don’t know of a single branch manager that would give a crap about some lowly private requesting a particular assignment. Sorry kid, but the needs of that 16-year Sergeant First Class are way higher on the list of priorities.
Second, the idea that a lack of awards or professional recognition somehow makes you less deserving of the title of veteran. I often hear this come from friends of mine that happen to bring awards up in conversation; it doesn’t happen often, but it has happened. Namely with a close friend of mine that served in the Army Reserves. Not only did he never deploy, which of course makes him not claim his veteran status, but he also has remarked that even if he does allow himself to be a veteran, that he is somehow lesser than those of us who have a little more color on our chests. I say that this is possibly even more ridiculous than the combat crap.
Awards are a great way to tell where someone has been, what they have done, and where they stand in a kind of hierarchy when it comes to peer groups. They are a resume that can be worn on your uniform and nothing more. I can tell how far someone is in their professional development as an NCO by seeing how many Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbons someone has. I can use the information gathered by seeing someone’s campaign medals and overseas service ribbons to see how many times they have been to combat and perhaps if they have served in Germany. I had a friend that had a star on his Airborne Wings; he had participated in one of the only combat jumps into Iraq in the past decade or so. None of these make someone more qualified to be a veteran though. These are just things they have done since they came in; stories that they can tell other veterans while they sit at the VFW and tell their war stories. That is all.
Lastly, “I’m not a real veteran if I didn’t do something ‘cool’.” This one is what leads those poor, underappreciated kids to don their old ACUs, go grab some badges from the local army surplus store, and parade around telling everyone that they were Ranger SEAL Snipers. Everyone is a veteran who served in the US military - not just special forces... it takes all types.
The military does not work without us all. A scout cannot use his M3A3 if the mechanics don’t fix it everytime it breaks. The radios in my truck don’t work properly when I try to call for fire if the commo guys aren’t there to make sure retrains works and that the fill is properly encoded. That combat outpost will go black on water, food, ammunition, and fuel if the 88Ms don’t come rolling through every few days with LogPac. Not everyone can be the super cool Delta Force Operator, but everyone can play a small role in a very large picture. The machine fails if one portion of it fails. Everyone needs to remember that.
If you raised your right hand and took the oath, laced up your boots and put on your uniform. If you did two years and ETS’d or retired with 20 plus. If you were injured or broken somehow and received a medical discharge. If your DD214 says anything other than “Dishonorable” in block 24, you, my friend, are a veteran. You are my brother, my friend, and my family, and I don’t care what any other moron has to say about it.
Service
Brotherhood
Combat
Honor
Command Post
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 76
5
5
0
5
5
0
I mostly agree. The thing I hate though is I have an acquaintance who fought the VA to get him veteran benefits. When he finally won he was thrilled to be considered a veteran. The fact is he never graduated from Basic Training! If you never finished basic how can you be considered a veteran!
(5)
(0)
5
5
0
I agree 100%. You are a veteran no matter what you did or did not do, as long as you wore the uniform with honor.
(5)
(0)
Suspended Profile
Nicely stated!
My [direct] family lineage, Which is also our direct military lineage, has been traced back to 910 AD. We have 6 different knights (so far discovered), in my lineage. Every generation has militaristically served.
My grandfather, on my dad's side, retired, from the Army, as a Full Bird Col. He served in WWII, as well as Korea. He was an ambulance battalion Commander in the Korean War and , was in command of the emergency and radiology departments at Darnell Army Hospital, Fort Hood, TX.
My grandfather, on my mom's side was, also, retired Army. He was an MP. He fought in WWII. He also served directly under General Wainwright, during WWII (I have photos of him with Gen. Wainwright). He [eventually] retired as a CSM. He then retired from the VA, Temple, TX.
My dad is a retired (old school Marine) Gunny. He went in as a personnelist, then went into sniping. He fought in Vietnam, as a sniper. I have pics of him, over there, in his suit, with his rifle. He won't talk about it, at all.
I was going to go into the Marines, like my dad, but I was 26, when I enlisted, so I decided to go into the Air Force. I was a Combat Loadmaster, on C 17s. I have, just shy of, 2,500 total flight hrs. A little over 1,000 hrs of those are combat flight hours. Now, I'm not talking these "just flying over the combat zone", combat hours. I have real, [actual], bullet holes in the aircraft...shot at with mortars, ground fire and SAM/MANPAD combat hours. I was launched on, by a SAM, 30 min West of Balad, Iraq, in October of 2005...during a combat run. I was thrown down, while wearing my body armor; a 65 lb chute; survival vest and my sidearm. I was folded in half like a taco and blew four discs (ruptured) out of my back...thought I was paralyzed, for a while. This injury put an end to a 10 year career. I am medically retired, as a SSgt.
I have ALWAYS been proud of my service, as is my dad. My son now flies the very same aircraft I did. My brother also went into the Air Force, because of me. My nephew, also, just entered the Air Force, a year ago, because of me.
Sometimes...I [unjustly] question the choice I made, by going into the Air Force, even though my dad has told me he is glad I made the decision I did, because my quality of life was better (his words). I question it because I have heard SO many times the Air Force being referred to as the "Chair Force", or the "Air Farce", or the "Chair Farce". Now, I know a lot of that is simple inter service rivalry....and I can and do appreciate, and enjoy that. However, I have [also] been the recipient of A LOT of VERY serious comments, from other services members, who [genuinely] believe the Air Force should not be a military service and that Air Force should not be considered Veterans and that the small percentage of us Airmen, who actually see/saw [real] combat time, are not even real veterans...simply because we are members of the Air Force. Their stance basically dismisses the 1,000+ hrs of officially documented combat time I have accumulated and the hundreds of officially documented combat missions I have flown. They dismiss the countless times I have been shot at. They dismiss the five (total) years I spent (300+ days every year), between Afghanistan and Iraq...away from my wife and kids. They dismiss my war injuries...my incurred [permanent] illnesses (burn pits; heavy metals and silicates in the powdery sands (I have [frequent] upper respiratory infections)) and a myriad of other illnesses.
My apologies, for the rant, but I grow tired of [repeatedly] having to defend my and those like me [completely documented and verifiable (through public records and official mission histories...minus the SEC and TS non-disclosures)] combat service...which, to many of those people, is not real, because (again) I'm Air Force.
I ALWAYS tried to ingrain, into my troops, that ALL service members are EQUALLY important...regardless of branch, job, or rank...war time, or peace time service. I taught them the people that clean the planes out are just as important as the people that fly the planes; the E-1 troop is just as important as the 0-10 officer and ALL should be treated with equal respect.
Ok...rant over. Apologies, for the length. I hope I [articulately] got my point across.
My [direct] family lineage, Which is also our direct military lineage, has been traced back to 910 AD. We have 6 different knights (so far discovered), in my lineage. Every generation has militaristically served.
My grandfather, on my dad's side, retired, from the Army, as a Full Bird Col. He served in WWII, as well as Korea. He was an ambulance battalion Commander in the Korean War and , was in command of the emergency and radiology departments at Darnell Army Hospital, Fort Hood, TX.
My grandfather, on my mom's side was, also, retired Army. He was an MP. He fought in WWII. He also served directly under General Wainwright, during WWII (I have photos of him with Gen. Wainwright). He [eventually] retired as a CSM. He then retired from the VA, Temple, TX.
My dad is a retired (old school Marine) Gunny. He went in as a personnelist, then went into sniping. He fought in Vietnam, as a sniper. I have pics of him, over there, in his suit, with his rifle. He won't talk about it, at all.
I was going to go into the Marines, like my dad, but I was 26, when I enlisted, so I decided to go into the Air Force. I was a Combat Loadmaster, on C 17s. I have, just shy of, 2,500 total flight hrs. A little over 1,000 hrs of those are combat flight hours. Now, I'm not talking these "just flying over the combat zone", combat hours. I have real, [actual], bullet holes in the aircraft...shot at with mortars, ground fire and SAM/MANPAD combat hours. I was launched on, by a SAM, 30 min West of Balad, Iraq, in October of 2005...during a combat run. I was thrown down, while wearing my body armor; a 65 lb chute; survival vest and my sidearm. I was folded in half like a taco and blew four discs (ruptured) out of my back...thought I was paralyzed, for a while. This injury put an end to a 10 year career. I am medically retired, as a SSgt.
I have ALWAYS been proud of my service, as is my dad. My son now flies the very same aircraft I did. My brother also went into the Air Force, because of me. My nephew, also, just entered the Air Force, a year ago, because of me.
Sometimes...I [unjustly] question the choice I made, by going into the Air Force, even though my dad has told me he is glad I made the decision I did, because my quality of life was better (his words). I question it because I have heard SO many times the Air Force being referred to as the "Chair Force", or the "Air Farce", or the "Chair Farce". Now, I know a lot of that is simple inter service rivalry....and I can and do appreciate, and enjoy that. However, I have [also] been the recipient of A LOT of VERY serious comments, from other services members, who [genuinely] believe the Air Force should not be a military service and that Air Force should not be considered Veterans and that the small percentage of us Airmen, who actually see/saw [real] combat time, are not even real veterans...simply because we are members of the Air Force. Their stance basically dismisses the 1,000+ hrs of officially documented combat time I have accumulated and the hundreds of officially documented combat missions I have flown. They dismiss the countless times I have been shot at. They dismiss the five (total) years I spent (300+ days every year), between Afghanistan and Iraq...away from my wife and kids. They dismiss my war injuries...my incurred [permanent] illnesses (burn pits; heavy metals and silicates in the powdery sands (I have [frequent] upper respiratory infections)) and a myriad of other illnesses.
My apologies, for the rant, but I grow tired of [repeatedly] having to defend my and those like me [completely documented and verifiable (through public records and official mission histories...minus the SEC and TS non-disclosures)] combat service...which, to many of those people, is not real, because (again) I'm Air Force.
I ALWAYS tried to ingrain, into my troops, that ALL service members are EQUALLY important...regardless of branch, job, or rank...war time, or peace time service. I taught them the people that clean the planes out are just as important as the people that fly the planes; the E-1 troop is just as important as the 0-10 officer and ALL should be treated with equal respect.
Ok...rant over. Apologies, for the length. I hope I [articulately] got my point across.
SGT Joseph Gunderson
Ok.... not to offend, but the entire listing of your supposed resume was entirely unnecessary and probably served you more purpose than the rest of the people that may come to read your response. Second, I have never in my life heard anyone discard the entire branch of the United States air force as not being veterans.... this sounds a little special to me....
(3)
(0)
Suspended Profile
SGT Gunderson - No, I'm not offended, by your statement. I was [attempting] to illustrate that, no matter what service we serve under, military service is heavily ingrained in many of us. Maybe I went into info supply overload, but...it is what it is.
Second, just because you may not have heard of that happening does not make it not so. I have, heard that more than once and I have seen others make remarks, of that nature, directed toward other Air Force members and [also] directed toward Coast Guard members. The times I have heard it, it was from this younger generation of troops.
Now, whether you, or anyone else, believes that, or not, makes no difference to me. I have stated my piece (a bit much, admittedly) and I'm done.
Second, just because you may not have heard of that happening does not make it not so. I have, heard that more than once and I have seen others make remarks, of that nature, directed toward other Air Force members and [also] directed toward Coast Guard members. The times I have heard it, it was from this younger generation of troops.
Now, whether you, or anyone else, believes that, or not, makes no difference to me. I have stated my piece (a bit much, admittedly) and I'm done.
(0)
(0)
MSgt Kerry Lundy
SSgt Christopher "TEX" Fowler - I was in the USAF 1965-1986, retired June 1986. I am a Vietnam Vet and I see no need to post my USAF history or my family military history on this or any other site. My DD214 speaks for me. My car's license plate given to me by my state speaks for me. If someone needs to know my military history I gladly share with them but again I don't wear it on my shirt sleeve. I fail to understand why you felt the need post your military history on this or any other site. I did my job in Vietnam and came home all three times as well as on all other bases where I was assigned and that is my answer to what did you do in the war Daddy!
(0)
(0)
5
5
0
5
5
0
I have to say this , I appreciate Sgt Gunderson's point of view but having been the recipient of the crappy reception at San Francisco airport in 1971 and the "You ain't sh## " stare down by fellow Nam vets during my last ride to Rolling Thunder because I didn't have a CIB or some sort of combat experience ..Yeah I feel like second best , when my own peers look down on me and others because we were "REMF " .
(5)
(0)
SPC Vicky King
They just don't know the facts. I have people like that in my family. Served almost eight years as a medic in the Guard, 1st Bn 111th Av Reg Atk Hel, no combat. Weekend warrior. Some 'vets' find my service laughable. After reading this article I see now that it's their proudful ignorance that's humorous.
“Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.”
― Aldous Huxley
“Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.”
― Aldous Huxley
(0)
(0)
5
5
0
SGT Gunderson, Sir; Thank You.. Very, Very well written article.. Thank you for sharing.. Very uplifting and encouraging .. Often thought of wearing a vest with patches (awards) showing the medical operations Awards that I have.. Maybe I would feel like more of a decorated Veteran !! I Thank you again.. With Respect... Mike
(5)
(0)
4
4
0
Every single person is a cog in the best machine in the world, the US military. Guess what happens when one of the cogs break!!?? Combat teams, direct support teams, Combat support team, down to the cook and the px 88m driver that brings the px to the FOB's..we are all soldiers first.
And now a days a 88m job can be just as dangerous as any other job in the military. Road side IED's suck...
Everyone signed the same dotted line giving your mind and body over to the US government becoming government property. My first tattoo I got a article 15 for defacing government property.
We are all Veteran's.
And now a days a 88m job can be just as dangerous as any other job in the military. Road side IED's suck...
Everyone signed the same dotted line giving your mind and body over to the US government becoming government property. My first tattoo I got a article 15 for defacing government property.
We are all Veteran's.
(4)
(0)
4
4
0
I agree totally with your take on this. Raised your right hand, wrote the check. Served honorably, you are a veteran.
(4)
(0)
4
4
0
Thank you for sharing this information with us. Over the past 45 plus years I’ve ran into Veterans that basically said the samething but I informed them what a veteran is. These media folks got everyone and their brothers talking about who is a veteran and who is a hero. Our society today is all screwed up. I’m just glad that you brought this up to everyone who needs it. Semper Fi.
(4)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google