How and why to thank our veterans

Thanks to all the veterans

Ruth Aresvik

VETERANS HELP NET CORRESPONDENT

We hear the word "veteran" all the time. We all know that a veteran is actually a person who has had long experience in a particular field. For example, I am a veteran of constantly misplacing my glasses. I am a veteran of picking up my dog’s “gifts” from the back yard and during assorted walking trips. And I am a United States Navy veteran.

The definition of the military veteran, as outlined in the 38 U.S. Code101, is a person who has served in the naval, air or space military service and was released or discharged honorably. It is active duty, active duty for training where the person has become disabled or has passed away, or inactive duty where the person has become disabled or has passed away because of an injury, infraction, or accident. And what, you may ask, is the clear-cut separation and definition of "active" versus "inactive”? I shall refer you to "The Soldiers Project" at www.thesoldiersproject. org for that lesson.

However, as we celebrate and give honor on this Veterans Day, here are some other interesting definitions and facts:

War veteran: War veterans are active-duty or reserve military members who have been in an area of conflict with another nation or in the surrounding waters to support activities against a national enemy.

Combat veteran:

Combat veterans are active-duty or reserve military members who have encountered any degree of combat for a period of time in a foreign space because of an offensive, defensive, or friendly-fire action with a national enemy.

Retired veteran: Retired veterans are any military members who have served for a minimum of 20 years in an active-duty or reserve position. Members who are medically retired because of injuries sustained during service are also considered retired veterans, regardless of their number of years in service.

Protected veteran:

Protected veterans are written under the 38 U.S. Code-4212 as "safeguarded" from discrimination. There are four subcategories for a protected veteran: • Disabled veteran: A disabled veteran is any military member who has been injured during combat or because of peacetime incidents while serving and from then, permanently disabled. • Recently separated veteran: Any military member who has been released or discharged within the last three years from active duty. • Campaign badge veteran: Also referred to as an active-duty wartime veteran, a campaign badge veteran is any military member who has served during a period of war or a campaign or expedition where a campaign badge is issued by the Department of Defense. • Armed Forces

Service Medal veter-

an: Any military member who has been awarded an Armed Service Medal while on active-duty service and the medal is listed on the DD214 form.

We all most likely are veterans in one way or another. But simply taking that original definition and applying it to a military veteran is not enough. What reminds us of the freedoms we have on any given day? School children reciting the Pledge of Allegiance; singing the National Anthem at a sporting event, watching a military Honor Guard leading a Fourth of July parade; a sea of small flags on graves at a Memorial Day event; Wreaths Across America on those same graves. A red crepe paper poppy. These and much more possible, and many times at a great cost, courtesy of your United States military veterans.