Who Qualifies As a Veteran?

During your time in the military, you were classified as either a full time or part time service member, depending on your job description. 

Generally, active duty service members are considered as full timers, while members of the Reserves and the National Guard are considered as part timers. 

This is an important factor in determining your veteran status, and consequently, how much benefits you are eligible to receive.

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Active Duty Service Members: Veteran Status

Any individual who was previously on active duty service in the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, and was discharged for reasons other than dishonorable, are considered as veterans. You can read the reference in Title 38 here.

This applies whether or not you were in combat or were injured during your service.

In terms of receiving benefits, the minimum requirement for how long you must have served on active duty is as follows:

• 30 consecutive days of active duty service before being discharged due to a service connected disability, or
• 90 days of active duty service on or after September 10, 2001, before being honorably discharged (for Post 9/11 GI Bill), or
• 2 years of active duty service before being honorably discharged (for Montgomery GI Bill- Active Duty)

So, as long as you were on active duty, served for the minimum required number of days, and was not dishonorably discharged, you are considered a veteran and can therefore receive veteran benefits.

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But, if you were a member of the National Guard, or Reserves in your respective service branch, things are a bit trickier.

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Reserves and National Guard: Veteran Status

First, let us define what these two terms mean:

While both of these serve the purpose of providing supplementary support to active duty forces under certain situations, there are some important differences, which are:

• The Reserves are members of individual service branches (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard) under the Department of Defense. When needed, they can be mobilized by the President and the Secretary of Defense.
• The National Guard (Army and Air) are unit forces of each state. When needed, they can be mobilized by their respective state governor, and by the President or the Secretary of Defense.

Both the Reserves and the National Guard personnel undergo basic military training and attend military job-specific training full time, and then participate in Inactive Duty Training every month, as well as a 14 or 15-day full time training once a year. 

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But, fulfilling these obligations do not automatically qualify you as a veteran.

In order to be considered a veteran (if you were a former member of the Reserves or the National Guard), you have to either:

• Have been deployed under federal orders, placing you on active duty status for the duration of your deployment. In this case, your deployment must meet the minimum requirements for active duty service members in order for you to be eligible to receive benefits. Or,
• Have been separated from service due to a disability that is connected to any required training. (If this is the case, you must have reported this injury to the VA and were given a disabled status)

Remember, simply finishing your service contract in the Reserves or National Guard does not qualify you as a veteran, unless you were deployed or were injured during training.

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One good caveat however:

A new law was passed that gives Guard and Reserve military members veteran status if they served 20 years or more. 

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Here’s some good news for those in the Guard and Reserves:

You are entitled to receive GI Bill benefits WHILE you are still in the Reserves or National Guard under the Montgomery GI Bill- Selected Reserve, as long as you meet their eligibility requirements.

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.

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According to the Veteran Affairs Guidelines for establishing veteran status:

If you were discharged while still undergoing basic training (or any required training, for that matter), 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.

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Am I a Veteran if I Have a DD-214?

A DD-214 is a proof of discharge after being deployed under federal orders. If your discharge was due to reasons other than dishonorable, then you are considered as a veteran.

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Other Categories of Veterans

There are quite a few other individuals who have served the government that are classified as veterans. These are:

• Scouts of the Philippine Commonwealth Army who served between December 7, 1941 and January 1, 1947, and
• Commissioned officers of the Public Health Service, the Environmental Science Services Administration or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or its predecessor the Coast and Geodetic Survey, who have a DD-214 equivalent as a proof of service

Additionally, if you attended a military academy, you are also tagged as a veteran for the purposes of receiving financial aid through the Federal Student Aid.

As long as you are considered as a veteran, there are many different benefits and opportunities waiting for you. Here are some of them:

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What are the best benefits for veterans?

From home loans to tuition assistance, there is a seemingly endless supply of programs and benefits specifically designed to aid veterans in every way possible.

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Veteran Education Benefit

Perhaps one of the most popular and in demand benefit for veterans is the educational benefit provided by the GI Bill (and its counterparts). Through this program, you can get financial support from the VA in paying for tuition fees, housing, and books, as long as you meet certain qualifying requirements and are enrolled in a VA accredited program, school, or training facility.

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Veteran VA Home Loan

The VA Home Loan is a home loan guarantee for veterans who want to purchase a residential property. Through this program, you can avail of lower interest rates and downpayment requirements.  

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VA Medical Care

The Veterans Health Administration offers several types of medical care to eligible veterans. Qualifications for receiving medical assistance depends on several factors such as the nature of your discharge and the duration of your active duty service. 

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Disability Assistance

For all eligible veterans who were discharged because of a service connected disability, the VA offers several assistance programs, such as the Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance, Disability Compensation, and Disability Pension.  

Federal Jobs for Veterans

When it comes to the workplace, the government has a veteran preference in employing individuals for federal jobs. You can be eligible as long as your discharge from military service was honorable, and your rank is below a major.

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Veteran Funeral and Burial 

Finally, the Department of Defense delivers military funeral honors for all eligible veterans, under the request of the family. Furthermore, these eligible veterans also have the option to be buried in a VA National Cemetery.

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As you can see, there are a lot of interesting opportunities that you can take advantage of as an eligible veteran. If you want to find out more about 29,000+ other veteran opportunities, visit milversity.com/explore

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