What Defines Veteran Status?

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.

What determines veteran status?

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.” This definition explains that any individual that completed a service for any branch of armed forces ...

How long do you have to be in the military to be considered a veteran?

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 [federal] order for more than 180 days outside of training, will now be considered a veteran," he said.