Reunited with the Sky by Sgt. Brittany Vella licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
Who is a Veteran?
By Joy Onigbogi
The definition of veteran, according to Collins dictionary is:
What does “veteran” mean in legal terms?
According to US Code Title 38– Veteran’s Benefits a veteran is “someone who served in the active military, naval, air, or space service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable.” Thus, if a person served in any branch of the armed forces and was not dishonorably discharged, they qualify as a veteran, regardless of the length of the service.
The important question here is, what is your aim in claiming military veteran status? When it comes to benefits eligibility, the requirements can vary.
What is considered when determining veteran status?
Active Service
Simply put, active service is full time. With the exception of leave (vacation) or passes (authorised time off), active-duty military personnel are ready for duty 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard are among the branches of the service where active-duty personnel can be found and are governed by the United States Department of Defense. (https://va.org/what-is-a-veteran-the-legal-definition/)
Types of Active Service Veterans
"While everybody who has received an honorable discharge is regarded as a veteran, there are a number of categories into which you may fall. A combat veteran is someone who has engaged in combat with an enemy. War veterans are people who served on active service in a conflict zone. After completing at least twenty years of active or reserve duty, retired veterans are regarded as career veterans. A disabled veteran is one who sustained an injury while serving in the military. (Bva.org)
Combat Veteran
Every service member who fulfills the requirements for active duty is a veteran, but those who served in combat or in a war are eligible for certain benefits that other veterans are not. A person who has served in combat is one who has encountered "any level of hostility for any duration due to offensive, defensive, or friendly fire military action involving a real or perceived opponent in any before or post-designated theater of combat operations." 38 U.S.C 101
War Veteran
A war veteran is someone who supported combat forces while serving on foreign soil in a theater of conflict. This could apply to personnel like mechanics, medical professionals, nurses, and office workers who might be put in danger while on duty.
Peacetime Veteran
Veterans who served during peacetime and were not dispatched to a combat zone make up a separate category.
Career Veteran
Veterans who are retired after having performed active or reserve duty for at least twenty years are regarded as career Veterans.
Disabled Veteran
A disabled veteran is a veteran who has served on active duty, received an honorable discharge, and received an injury resulting in disability while under service.
Veterans are all around us, let's treat them with love and respect - they deserve it.
References:
Dictionary.com
Collins Dictionary
Veteran Affairs
Military.com
By Joy Onigbogi
The definition of veteran, according to Collins dictionary is:
- A person who has long served in a particular capacity.
- A soldier with a lot of experience in active duty.
- A person with military experience.
What does “veteran” mean in legal terms?
According to US Code Title 38– Veteran’s Benefits a veteran is “someone who served in the active military, naval, air, or space service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable.” Thus, if a person served in any branch of the armed forces and was not dishonorably discharged, they qualify as a veteran, regardless of the length of the service.
The important question here is, what is your aim in claiming military veteran status? When it comes to benefits eligibility, the requirements can vary.
What is considered when determining veteran status?
- Duration of active service.
- Time period during which person was in service.
- Kind of service.
- Details and nature of discharge.
- For most government purposes, a person must have “active military, naval, or air service” in order to be deemed a veteran.
Active Service
Simply put, active service is full time. With the exception of leave (vacation) or passes (authorised time off), active-duty military personnel are ready for duty 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard are among the branches of the service where active-duty personnel can be found and are governed by the United States Department of Defense. (https://va.org/what-is-a-veteran-the-legal-definition/)
Types of Active Service Veterans
"While everybody who has received an honorable discharge is regarded as a veteran, there are a number of categories into which you may fall. A combat veteran is someone who has engaged in combat with an enemy. War veterans are people who served on active service in a conflict zone. After completing at least twenty years of active or reserve duty, retired veterans are regarded as career veterans. A disabled veteran is one who sustained an injury while serving in the military. (Bva.org)
Combat Veteran
Every service member who fulfills the requirements for active duty is a veteran, but those who served in combat or in a war are eligible for certain benefits that other veterans are not. A person who has served in combat is one who has encountered "any level of hostility for any duration due to offensive, defensive, or friendly fire military action involving a real or perceived opponent in any before or post-designated theater of combat operations." 38 U.S.C 101
War Veteran
A war veteran is someone who supported combat forces while serving on foreign soil in a theater of conflict. This could apply to personnel like mechanics, medical professionals, nurses, and office workers who might be put in danger while on duty.
Peacetime Veteran
Veterans who served during peacetime and were not dispatched to a combat zone make up a separate category.
Career Veteran
Veterans who are retired after having performed active or reserve duty for at least twenty years are regarded as career Veterans.
Disabled Veteran
A disabled veteran is a veteran who has served on active duty, received an honorable discharge, and received an injury resulting in disability while under service.
Veterans are all around us, let's treat them with love and respect - they deserve it.
References:
Dictionary.com
Collins Dictionary
Veteran Affairs
Military.com
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