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Our company lost a soldier to a training accident I feel that if an injury occurred while doing your job, even before graduation from a course then yes you are a veteran.
The thread is about "personally consider", so my post is my PERSONAL opinion.
I think the injured "recruit" should be compensated and he also deserves respect. Do I think he deserves VA health benefits?(maybe, but this is not what the thread is all about.)
However, he is not a veteran in my opinion only. The word veteran (in my opinion) has a requirement. (example: How long does a person serve, etc.)
I remember seeing a recent article where an act was passed by Congress bestowing the word "Veteran" on any Guard/Reservist who earned a retirement by serving 20 qualifying years, even w/o active duty after initial training. It also mentioned this bestowed no additional benefits..just the courtesy to be called a Veteran.
Well I always figured that if you served a certain number of years, regardless of whether you fought or not, you were considered a veteran. My dad was a veteran of three wars, WW2 , Korea and Viet Nam and spent 33 years in the military. 3 years Army Air Corps, 30 US Airforce. He was aprisioner of war of the germans in North africa and he also saw combat.He was a flight crew chief and air plane mechanic .Then when in Italy ,he got recruited to spy on Tito's partisans and that's how he got into intelligence work. During Viet Nam he was at the Alaskan Air Command and later he went to NSA. I remember my math teacher who was a member of the National Guard having to serve during the protests in Washington D.C. I considered my teacher a vet .
Q: Who is eligible for the free “thank you” dinner?
A: Any person who has served in the US Military (retirees, veterans, active duty, National Guard or Reserves).
Veteran: At least 1 HONORABLE enlistment. Veteran/Retiree: 1 Honorable enlistment and the minimum time requirements for a military retirement compensation. Medical Retiree: Minimum requirements for a military medical compensation. Use another form BESIDES the DD 214 if less than 1 honorable enlistment. Prior Service: Anything less than 1 enlistment. Use another form BESIDES the DD214 which states the character of service and reason for separation.
You’re a veteran if you qualify for veterans benefits, pretty simple there.
I’m sure there are exceptions for those who get injured in boot camp or technical training school who didn’t meet the 24 months (or enlistment) requirement
Title 38 defines a veteran as "...a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable."
There are obviously different levels in people's minds for what they consider a veteran.
Personally, I served 6 years in the National Guard with no activation and fall into that odd grey area of being honorably discharged, yet not having enough active service to really count as anything. I get tense when people thank me for serving mostly because I don't feel I did anything.
What is your own personal definition of a veteran regardless of Title 38?
You're a vet
You served in an armed service with the chance of being deployed or serving stateside missions. The National guard serves this country in times of disaster as well. Pretty clear cut for me.
Prior Service: Anything less than 1 enlistment. Use another form BESIDES the DD214 which states the character of service and reason for separation.
That is incorrect. Prior service is simply someone who was once in the military and got out after his enlistment(s) without enough time to qualify for retirement. I served six years in the Marine Corps over two enlistments. When I joined the Air National Guard, I was considered prior service. I had two DD 214s from those two enlistments. Someone who does less than one enlistment may or may be considered prior service, depending on the circumstances.
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