Are you a veteran if you never served in combat?
Who is a veteran? The short answer is that under federal law, a veteran is any person who served honorably on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States. It doesn't matter if you served during wartime or not. It doesn't matter if you saw combat or not.
The VA defines a Veteran as a person who served on active duty in the military, naval, air, or space service, and who was not discharged under dishonorable conditions.
38 U.S.C. § 101(2) provides: The term "veteran" means a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable.
Defining a Veteran
A Veteran is defined as a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable. The term "active service" is defined in 38 Code of Federal Regulations as being: Active duty.
The Department of Veterans Affairs defines combat veterans as troops who have received hostile fire pay or imminent danger pay at any time during their service, earned a combat service medal, or have military service documentation that show they were in a combat theater, Kuzminski told Task & Purpose.
Filing a claim for non-combat PTSD
Although the VA rates non-combat PTSD the same as combat PTSD, proving a service connection to a non-combat stressor can be more difficult. Having clear, authoritative documentation of your non-combat PTSD stressor is useful.
The statutory definition of a veteran in the U.S. Code states a veteran must have served in the “active military.” It does not distinguish active military as only active duty or active duty for training. If you were dishonorably discharged from basic training, you may not qualify as a veteran.
Period of Active Duty Service
To be eligible for most veterans benefits, a minimum period of active duty of 24 continuous months or the full period for which a person is called or ordered to active duty must be completed.
If you do not have a DD-214 Form, or have additional questions about your veteran status, please contact the Department of Veterans Affairs at 1-800-827-1000.
The Department of Defense (DoD) authorizes six characterizations of service for military service members to receive on discharge: (1) Honorable; (2) Under Honorable Conditions (General); (3) Under Other than Honorable Conditions; (4) Bad Conduct; (5) Dishonorable, and (6) Uncharacterized.
What medals qualify for combat veteran?
Medals. Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (does not include Global War on Terrorism Medal); Kosovo Campaign Medal; Southwest Asia Campaign Medal; and other DOD authorized combat related medals.
All veterans receive this Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty once they are out of the military. In a nutshell, the DD214 is proof of your military service. All branches use this same form. There may be no more important document, as it serves as the key to unlocking benefits of all kinds.
Combat veterans are authorized to permanently wear the patch on their uniforms. This authorization adds Somalia to a list of other current combat zones -- which includes Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Djibouti -- where Soldiers are receiving combat zone tax exclusion and imminent danger pay.
The Civil Service Commission operates under what is commonly known as the "Rule of Three." The "Rule of Three" means that after an open competitive or promotional exam is held, the Appointing Authority may select any candidate from the top three ranks unless a veteran is in the top three ranks as noted below.
Active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service, during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.
Purple Heart. Page 1. WWR Fact Sheet. Purple Heart. The Purple Heart is a distinguished military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving in the U.S. armed forces.
Typically, the assumption is that a veteran develops PTSD due to exposure to hostile military or terrorist activity. Many veterans don't even realize they have PTSD until years after leaving the military. Even if you didn't serve in combat, you could still have PTSD from your time in the military.
However, while military veterans often have PTSD, non-combat servicemembers and the general population can suffer from PTSD. The reality is that there are people who have never served a day in the military who are victims of PTSD as well.
Non-combat PTSD stressors are a bit more complicated. Types of non-combat PTSD stressors that may be used to apply for disability benefits include serious car accidents, plane accidents, training accidents, natural disasters, and experiencing rape or other sexual trauma during military service.
If a discharge was not characterized as under honorable conditions, benefits are not payable unless VA determines the discharge was “under conditions other than dishonorable.” By law, certain situations resulting in a discharge under less than honorable conditions constitute a legal bar to the payment of benefits.
Does 6 years in the National Guard make you a veteran?
Does 6 years in the National Guard make you a veteran? Yes, if you spent at least 180 days of that 6 years deployed on federal active duty orders.
According to VA, entry-level separation is recognized as an uncharacterized discharge, except in the following instances: When an Other Than Honorable characterization is authorized under the reason for separation and is warranted by the circumstances or the case.
Peacetime veterans comprise still another category; those are troops who served during peacetime and were not sent to a combat area.
No, training doesn't count as active duty. For the regular Army/Navy/Air Force/Marine Corps/Coast Guard, active duty begins when a military member reports to a duty station after completion of training (basic, officer training, tech school).
Traditional service in the Reserve or National Guard includes initial entry training, one weekend drill or assembly per month, and two weeks of annual training per year; this traditional service generally is not considered as active duty for the purposes of veterans' benefits and services, with the exception of ...
Voluntary Self-Identification of “Protected” Veteran Status
To help us measure the effectiveness of our outreach and recruitment efforts of veterans, we are asking you to tell us if you are a veteran covered by VEVRAA. Completing this form is completely voluntary, but we hope you fill it out.
Generally there is no charge for basic military personnel and medical record information provided to veterans, next of kin and authorized representatives from Federal (non-archival) records.
However, veterans and their next of kin may request a copy of military records online. If the person requesting the records isn't the veteran or next of kin, the files can be obtained if the military member's date of separation from service is more than 62 years already.
World War II - December 7, 1941 to December 31, 1946. Korean Conflict - June 27, 1950 to January 31, 1955. Vietnam Era* - August 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975. Gulf War - August 2, 1990 - TBD.
Some Veterans are eligible for VA health care no matter their income. You may be eligible based on your VA disability rating, service history, or other factors. If you think you may be eligible, we encourage you to apply anytime.
What is the difference between combat and non combat veterans?
Veterans with combat service records rank higher in priority. This means they qualify for more medical coverage and enhanced eligibility enrollment. Non-combat veterans still qualify for the basic medical benefits package. If they experience any service-related injuries, they can still apply for disability benefits.
Only 20 to 25% of U.S. Troops In Vietnam Receive Combat Pay.
Members are eligible to receive a DD Form 214 based on consecutive active duty periods of 90 days or more. Performing in drill status during a 90-day period would break this up and restart the day count.
"We also made a big change to what a lot of soldiers call the 'combat patch,'" Sanders said. The Shoulder Sleeve Insignia Former Wartime Service will now be called the Shoulder Sleeve Insignia Military Operations in Hostile Conditions.
The "Grim Reaper" represents the reality of death and serves to remind cadets they have, as members of the Armed Forces, devoted their lives to their country. This dedication distinguishes the military profession from all others. This second patch of the squadron was approved in 1972.
Research shows that individuals who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder are not just war veterans, but anyone who has experienced some form of severe life trauma.
A DD Form 214 proves military service. Obtaining a copy is essential if you want access to many of the benefits and services available to you.
All veterans receive this Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty once they are out of the military. In a nutshell, the DD214 is proof of your military service. All branches use this same form. There may be no more important document, as it serves as the key to unlocking benefits of all kinds.
Veterans with combat service records rank higher in priority. This means they qualify for more medical coverage and enhanced eligibility enrollment. Non-combat veterans still qualify for the basic medical benefits package. If they experience any service-related injuries, they can still apply for disability benefits.
Non-combat PTSD stressors are a bit more complicated. Types of non-combat PTSD stressors that may be used to apply for disability benefits include serious car accidents, plane accidents, training accidents, natural disasters, and experiencing rape or other sexual trauma during military service.