Who qualifies as a veteran?

[DavidMcmillan]

I had lunch with a couple of friends today, and an interesting question came up. I couldn’t answer it, but I said that I know where I can get a good answer (hopefully).

One fellow was saying that he was not considered a veteran because during his six years in Army Reserve, he was only on active duty for training including annual camp. I said that I am pretty sure that he did not qualify for any benefits, but I thought he was still considered as a veteran.

Any thoughts?

 

[okgunner]

Do you want a VA loan?
https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/eligibility/
Do you want to either join the American Legion or Veterans of Foreign Wars? Different requirements.

Depends on your definition, it all depends.

 

[DavidMcmillan]

Neither one, he was saying that he couldn’t call himself a veteran.

I had never heard that question asked before

 

[DavidMcmillan]

Did 6 years honorably, he’s a vet. A veteran is literally just a person who enlisted or swore a commission into the military, and did the amount of time required.

Now, no time overseas in a combat zone…. I don’t care if you have 20 years in, you’re still a boot. You’re a vet, and you did a good thing, but you’re still a boot.

That was my thinking, but like I.said, I don’t think I ever heard different.

 

[ClintC]

I done 6 years active duty and deployed My wife done 6 years reserve at home. We doth have DD214’s and veteran on are drivers license. I give her **** that she was only a part timer. But yes a veteran.

 

[DavidMcmillan]

I had never heard anything to the contrary, but I knew there were enough veterans on here with probably every type of veteran category, and would have a correct answer.

Thanks everyone, I’ll pass this on to the fellow.

 

[HFS]

Legal definition or someone's personal definition?
I've never called myself an S.O.B. but other people have.

 

[DavidMcmillan]

Are you asking us to vote on you?

 

[TerryMiller]

Dating back to the days of the late '60's when I was in the Army, my basic training time was with a company made up of over 99% reserve and national guard. I think that "maybe" there were three of us in the company that were what was considered "regular Army."

If they served honorably and got a DD214, they are a veteran.

 

[Hirschkopf]

Used the Bing AI search to ask "Who is a US military veteran?"
Most concise source seems to be:
https://va.org/what-is-a-veteran-the-legal-definition/
Bottom line: What is a Veteran? Title 38 of the Code of Federal Regulations defines a veteran as “a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable.”

Since there is no time defined for amount of time spent on active duty, I suppose Active Duty for Training (ADT) while in a reserve component would count. I still wonder what one's status had to have been at the time of discharge/release. FWIW, I'd consider the OP's friend a veteran.

I served 23 years and change with 20 years, 1 month active duty.