We hear the terms’ veteran’ when we talk of the military. In simple terms, anyone who has served in a nation’s military is considered a veteran. The Title 38 of the United States Code states that a person who has served in the active military, space, naval, or air service and released under conditions other than dishonorable is considered a veteran. The status is not affected by the geographical area of their service and whether or not they saw active combat. Even the National Guard or Reserves are considered veterans when deployed by federal orders.

According to the U.S. Department of VA, in 2018, over 19 million veterans served the nation, which was 10% of the U.S. adult population, three-thirds of whom served during times of war. However, the number of veterans has been decreasing over the years. This is due to the smaller numbers of the U.S military. Currently, only 1.29 million men and women are veterans. This is the smallest number since World War II.

Factors for being considered a veteran

Various factors are examined by the Veterans Affairs (VA) council before considering a national military service as a veteran. Some of them are;

• Length of active service for the nation
• The period of the service
• Type of service
• Circumstances that led to the discharge
• Type of discharge

Active service of a veteran-to-be can be of multiple forms:

• Full-time services in the armed forces
• Full-time service as a commissioned officer in the Reserve or Regular Corpse of the Public Health Sector
• Full-time service as a commissioned officer in the Coast and Geodetic Survey, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environment Science Service, and Administration
• Travel from or to the duty of their service
• Enlisted service members without a formal release from their active duty and reassigned after.
• Order of the full-time services and their performances in operational duties
• The time needed to travel immediately after their date of discharge

An official is considered a veteran after the orders from the governor with approval from the Secretary of Defense or the President. It also includes circumstances where an individual is disabled during active duty or death due to injury or disease. Officials who encountered sexual assault, cardiac arrest, cerebrovascular accidents, and acute myocardial infarction also fall under these categories.

The Veteran Affairs council undergoes a careful determination and hires members to perform a case-by-case resolution before deciding to discharge under conditions other than dishonorable. If an official portrays bad conduct or behavior, they are released based on disqualification for the veteran status. Service members should have served at least 24 months of active duty before being considered veterans. However, if they are deemed disabled within 24 months, this rule does not apply.