What Is A Veteran
The Ministry of Defence defines a veteran as:
anyone who has served for at least one day in Her Majestys Armed Forces , or Merchant Mariners who have seen duty on legally defined military operations. Under the definition, veterans have already left the Armed Forces.
The Armed Forces Covenant defines the Armed Forces Community as:
- Regular Personnel any current serving members of the Naval Service, Army or Royal Air Force
- Volunteer and Regular Reservists Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Marine Reserve, Territorial Army and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, and the Royal Fleet Reserve, Army Reserve and Air Force Reserve, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and Merchant Navy
- Veterans anyone who has served for at least a day in the Armed Forces as either a regular or a reservist
- Families of regular personnel, reservist and veterans spouses, civil partners and children, and where appropriate can include parents, unmarried partners and other family members
- Bereaved the family members of service personnel and veterans who have died, whether that death is connected to their service or not.
Distinguishing Between Wartime And Peacetime Military Service22
All military service is classified as either wartime or peacetime service. The type of service may affect eligibility for VA benefits. For example, only veterans with wartime service qualify for Improved Pension, which pays benefits to low-income veterans who are either elderly or non-service-connected disabled veterans.23
Periods considered “wartime” for the purposes of veterans’ benefits are defined in law.24 Veterans who served during those periods are considered to have “served during wartime” by the VA, even if the service was not in a combat zone. Those time periods not designated by Congress as wartime are considered to be peacetime. If a veteran served partly during wartime and partly during peacetime, the veteran meets the wartime criteria if he or she served 90 consecutive days, at least one day of which occurred during a period designated as wartime.
Congress has designated eight wartime periods:
State Active Duty Vs Federal Active Duty
A state or territorys governor may activate National Guard members for State Active Duty, such as in response to a natural or man-made disaster.
State Active Duty is based on state law, not federal law, and therefore, does NOT qualify as active service for VA benefits.
Unlike full-time National Guard duty, National Guard members on State Active Duty orders are paid with state funds as opposed to federal funds .
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A Veteran Is A Former Member Of The Armed Forces Of The United States Who Served On Active Duty And Was Discharged Under Conditions Which Were Other Than Dishonorable
There is no minimum number of days a student must have served on active duty to be considered a veteran. However, periods of active duty for training, pursuant to an enlistment in the National Guard or Reserves, do not qualify a student as a veteran. Thus former or current members of the National Guard or Reserves are not considered to be veterans unless they had prior or subsequent service with an active component of the Armed Forces. Since the DD Form 214 is issued to those leaving the active military as well as to members of the National Guard and Reserves completing their initial active duty for training, possession of this document does not necessarily mean the student is a veteran.
Persons who attended military academies are now considered veterans for financial aid purposes.
Are Army Reserves Considered Veterans
The U.S. Army Reserves are part-time uniformed soldiers who may be called upon to serve on active duty status for extended periods of time. They are trained reservists, called up for training periods at various times throughout the year. Although many reservists are not activated for service, they are required to maintain their military status, training, and equipment. Active duty status can be part of their obligation..
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Va Disability Compensation Benefits
VA Disability Compensation is a monthly tax-free benefit paid to veterans who are at least 10% disabled because of injuries or diseases that were caused or made worse during active duty military service or active duty for training.
The VA will pay monthly benefits to separated or retired National Guard and Reserve members for disabilities from disease or injury incurred or aggravated during active duty service and active duty for training, AND for disabilities from injury incurred or aggravated during inactive duty for training .
However, the VA will not pay disability compensation benefits for diseases and related conditions incurred or aggravated during inactive duty for training except as determined by veteran status and qualifying service.
Who Is A Veteranbasic Eligibility For Veterans Benefits
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers a broad range of benefits to U.S. Armed Forces veterans and certain members of their families. Among these benefits are various types of financial assistance, including monthly cash payments to disabled veterans, health care, education, and housing. Basic criteria must be met to be eligible to receive any of the benefits administered by the VA.
This report examines the basic eligibility criteria for VA administered veteransâ benefits, including the issue of eligibility of members of the National Guard and reserve components.
For a former servicemember to receive certain VA benefits, the person must have active U.S. military service for a minimum period of time, generally the lesser of the full period ordered to active duty or 24 months, and be discharged âunder conditions other than dishonorable.â Some members of the National Guard and reserve components have difficulty meeting the active duty and length of service requirements. However, a member of the National Guard or reserve components who is activated for federal military service and meets the length of service requirement is considered a veteran for purposes of VA benefits.
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Length Of Service Criteria For Veteran Status
For people who enlisted prior to September 8, 1980, no minimum length of service is necessary to be considered a veteran for most VA benefits. However, certain minimum length of service requirements apply to people who enlisted on or after September 8, 1980. The general requirement is the “full period” for which the servicemember was called or ordered to active duty or, if less, 24 months of continuous active duty.14
Several exceptions exist to this rule. For example, service-connected disability compensation benefits are exempt from the length of service requirement. Thus, a veteran with a disease or injury incurred during active service generally may receive service-connected compensation for that disability.15 Other exceptions to the minimum service requirements include claims for VA life insurance benefits,16 hardship discharges,17 and persons retired or separated from service because of a service-related disability.18
If the former servicemember did not serve for the full period of active duty and served less than 24 months, and none of the statutory exceptions apply, then the veteran did not complete a minimum period of active duty and is “not eligible for any benefit under Title 38, United States Code or under any law administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs based on that period of active service.”19
National Guard Are National Guard Veterans
The principal difference between the National Guard and the Reserves is that the federal government is in charge of the Reserves, while the National Guard units predominately belong to individual states.
To those who ask why National Guard members are not considered veterans, they can be! Currently, National Guard is considered veterans if they served over 20 years even if they dont get deployed. Prior to 2016, they were considered veterans only if they served 180 days or more in a federal status, such as serving on active status.
There are two National Guard types: the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard. National Guard members attend basic training and military job school full time under ADT , similar to the Reserves.
They resume daily civilian life but train one weekend per month in addition to 15 full-time training days per year. This type of IDT/ADT time doesnt count toward veterans benefits.
State governors can call National Guard members to active duty if a state emergency arises. Such emergencies include relief or protection of property and people outside the authority of local law enforcement. This form of state duty is known officially as Title 38 Call-up and doesnt count toward veterans benefits either.
In a given month, an estimated 40,000 members of the Air and Army National Guard are performing federal duty overseas.
Active Guard/Reserves
For veterans benefit service requirements, AGR duty is similar to full-time active-duty service.
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Am I A Veteran If I Was Discharged During Basic Training
Remember, according to Title 38, a Veteran is:
A person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable.
According to the Veteran Affairs Guidelines for establishing veteran status:
If you were discharged while still undergoing basic training , you are considered as a veteran if your discharge was due to a disability sustained because of your training.
Again, this is provided that you reported the injury to the VA and were tagged with a training or service connected disability.
Veteran Meaning Understanding The Difference Between Types Of Military Service
There are a larger variety of services an individual can be a part of than is generally believed. As you will see, the veteran meaning may change based on the type of military service you do. The following are descriptions of each to help you steer your way through:
Full-time
Active-duty service is simply full-time. Active-duty members are available for duty 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, with the exclusion of leave or pass . Active-duty members fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Defense and can serve in the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.
Remember:
If an individual served active-duty service, it is credible toward length-of-service requirements when qualifying for veterans benefits.
Part-Time
Performing duties one weekend per month, plus two weeks of training per year, members of the Reserves and National Guard are considered part-time, though, since the Gulf War in 1990, theyve spent exponentially more time called to full-time active duties. In fact, National Guards and Reserves generally spend two years of their six-year enlistment performing full-time active duty.
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Why Its Important To Define Veteran Status
In addition to appropriately honoring veterans for their service, its important to define when a service member is considered a veteran because of the benefits available. Veterans are entitled to a number of benefits, including those related to education, housing, and healthcare. There is also financial assistance and funding for disabled veterans available. In order to be eligible for the majority of these benefits, one must qualify as a veteran and accumulate a certain number of active duty service hours, and be on active duty for a minimum of 24 months or a full period or active duty.
Additionally, its necessary for a vet to have been honorably discharged, which means the service member completed all of his or her obligations efficiently, honorably, and faithfully. Not receiving an honorable discharge does not automatically mean a person has been dishonorably discharged. There is such a thing as general discharge, which means the service member had satisfactory performance but did not meet all expectations of conduct for military members.
Keep in mind, a discharge from the military, even an honorable one, is not military retirement. Military retirement indicates a person made a long-term career of their military service and served for at least 20 years.
Va Life Insurance Programs
Commands” alt=”U.S. Army Reserve > Commands”> VA Life Insurance programs provide financial security and peace of mind to you and your family, especially considering the risks involved in military service.
Eligible Servicemembers and Veterans pay relatively low monthly premiums for coverage, which vary by insurance program.
You are automatically insured under full-time Servicemembers Group Life Insurance as either a:
- Member of the Ready Reserve or National Guard who is scheduled to perform at least 12 periods of inactive training per year, OR
- Servicemember who volunteers for a mobilization category in the Individual Ready Reserve Part-time coverage is also available to National Guard and Reserve members who do not meet the inactive training requirement above but do perform duty at specific times.
Part-time coverage is also available to National Guard and Reserve members who do not meet the inactive training requirement above but do perform duty at specific times.
List of the Top VA Life Insurance Programs for National Guard and Reserve Members:
- Veterans Group Life Insurance is available to service members who are separating, retiring, or being released from assignment from the Ready Reserve, or a National Guard member who was covered by SGLI, OR to members of the National Guard or Reserve covered by part-time SGLI who incurred or aggravated a disability while performing inactive duty or traveling to/from duty, OR to members of the Individual Ready Reserve or Inactive National Guard.
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Va Burial Benefits For Guard And Reserve
VA Burial Benefits provides burial and memorial services to honor our Nations deceased veterans.
Eligibility for VA Burial Benefits requires a National Guard or Reserve Member to have served on active duty, or that your death was due to an injury or disease that developed or was aggravated during active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty for training.
The National Cemetery Administration offers veterans a gravesite in any of the national cemeteries with available space, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a Government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate, at no cost to the family of the deceased veteran.
Some veterans may also be eligible for VA Burial Allowances.
Burial benefits available for spouses and dependents buried in a national cemetery include burial with the Veteran, perpetual care, and the spouse or dependents name and date of birth and death will be inscribed on the Veterans headstone, at no cost to the family.
Eligible spouses and dependents may be buried, even if they predecease the Veteran.
Heres a list of 5 VA Burial Benefits for National Guard and Reserve Members:
According To Title 38 Of The Code Of Federal Regulations A Veteran Is A Person Who Served In The Active Military Naval Or Air Service And Who Was Discharged Or Released Under Conditions Other Than Honorable
Now, under the new law, anyone eligible for reserve component retirement benefits is considered a veteran, said krenz. Anyone who has reached 20 years of service, even if they were never activated on a order for more than 180 days outside of training, will now be considered a veteran, he said. Essentially, anyone who completed service for any brand of the military is a veteran, provided they were not discharged under.
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Who Is Eligible For Veterans Benefits
To be eligible for veterans benefits the applicant must meet the definition of a veteran, meet specified requirements for active duty and must have a discharge other than dishonorable. Reserve and Guard members are generally not eligible for benefits except under certain circumstances.
Here are the basic eligibility requirements for receiving VA benefits which we will discuss in more detail below.
- Must meet definition of a veteran or considered as a veteran
- Must meet active duty requirements
- Must meet the period of active duty service requirements
- Service-connected disabilities cannot be a result of willful misconduct
- Pension is not available if discharge was due to willful misconduct
- Must have received an other than dishonorable discharge
What Is Va Disability Compensation
VA disability compensation is just one of the benefits veterans can receive because of their time serving their country. If you qualify for disability compensation, you will receive monthly tax-free benefits. The VA rates injuries and ailments in terms of percentages. You must be a minimum of ten percent disabled based on VA standards to receive any of these benefits.
The amount of money a veteran will recover will depend mainly on their disability percentage, according to the VA Disability Ratings Table. The VA rounds to the 10 percent for each disability or combination of injuries and other conditions. The related condition must occur or worsen when the veteran served in active duty or active-duty training.
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Veteran Definition How Long Do You Have To Be In The Military To Be A Veteran
You have seen from the title 38 definition above that there is no minimum time of service required to be considered a veteran so long as you served on active duty.
But the real question is to what purpose you want to be called a veteran. If it is to receive veteran benefits, as we have seen, the requirements may differ from whether or not people will call you a veteran.
Also note that active duty service members differ from reservists and the National Guard, as we will see below.
These groups must have served on active duty for a period of 180 days or more to be considered a veteran .
How Long Do You Have To Serve In The Military To Get Free College
The Montgomery GI Bill extends educational benefits to any active duty member of the military who served for at least 2 years of active duty. This also extends to veterans of any branch of the military. You receive up to $1,857 each month for educational expenses, as long as youre enrolled full-time.
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