Are you still a veteran if you were dishonorably discharged?

71T Targa · 11-11-2009, 07:26 AM

Just curious. I know someone who was dishonorably discharged and still considers himself a vet.

Thoughts?

FLYGEEZER · 11-11-2009, 07:44 AM

NO!!!!!!!!. Getta a grip.

legion · 11-11-2009, 07:47 AM

Do you get VA benefits if you are dishonorably discharged?

myamoto1 · myamoto1's Garage

In general - no. If you don't live up to the standards, you don't get to claim to be one of the elite. However, if he saw combat and was discharged on some BS charge, I could be swayed in my view.

sammyg2 · 11-11-2009, 07:52 AM

Here's one man's opinion:

Quote:

The most common usage is for former armed services personnel. A veteran is one who has served in the armed forces, but usually not someone who had a dishonorable discharge. It is especially applied to those who served for an entire career, usually of 20 years or more, but may be applied for someone who has only served one tour of duty. A common misconception is that one had to have either been in combat and/or has retired from active duty to be called a military veteran. Because of this widely held misconception, women have sometime excluded themselves from veterans groups or benefits, despite military service (see history of women in the military).

Chief Petty Officer
U.S. Navy, Retired
1968-1990
Source(s):
wikipedia.org

71T Targa · 11-11-2009, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by legion

Do you get VA benefits if you are dishonorably discharged?

I don't know the answer, but I'd guess no.

Quote:

Originally Posted by myamoto1

In general - no. If you don't live up to the standards, you don't get to claim to be one of the elite. However, if he saw combat and was discharged on some BS charge, I could be swayed in my view.

No combat, no time spent out of the country.

Danimal16 · 11-11-2009, 07:55 AM

Big Chicken Dinner or the Duck Dinner get you no recognition by the VA.

audiman08 · 07:57 AM

A dishonorable discharge requires courts martial, and usually involves criminal activity or something serious like giving secrets to the enemy, sabotage, etc. These days, even AWOL (or UA in Navy terms) personnel usually get "other-than-honorable" (but not dishonorable) discharges which is considered administrative separation. Here recently, a Captain in the Coast Guard was convicted of snorting some of the Cocaine he was in charge of seizing. He gets to keep his retirement but will be asked to resign... Legally he is still a veteran.

m21sniper · 11-11-2009, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 71T Targa

Just curious. I know someone who was dishonorably discharged and still considers himself a vet.

Thoughts?

Of course you are still a veteran.

legion · 11-11-2009, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danimal16

Big Chicken Dinner or the Duck Dinner get you no recognition by the VA.

What is BCD?

Hard-Deck · 11-11-2009, 08:10 AM

BCD is Bad Conduct Discharge the slang term used is "Big Chicken Dinner".

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

BCD = Bad Conduct Discharge, now OTHD = Other than Honorable Discharge

There are lots of Medical Discharges, I know several. Something about the Military being hard on the knees.

Rikao4 · 11-11-2009, 08:13 AM

Bad Conduct Dis..
not good..
the Other than Honorable Dis.
have dis. codes..
these explain the reason..
followed with Re-enlistment codes..
these welcome you back..or punt

Rika

Hard-Deck · 11-11-2009, 08:14 AM

Veteran Benefits

widgeon13 · 11-11-2009, 08:58 AM

No!

cashflyer · 11-11-2009, 09:42 AM

A friend of mine served active duty in the Marines.
He saw action in both Panama and Iraq, and has both the ribbons and the scars to prove it.

He has an OTH discharge for assaulting a superior officer in a bar fight.

Surely that negates his service and sacrifices. If I see him today I will be sure and kick him in the nuts for ever being in the service.

Deschodt · 11-11-2009, 09:49 AM

>A veteran is one who has served in the armed forces

Ha... interesting.. My definition was narrower than that, guess I am wrong.. In my head, a veteran was someone who had been involved in a war... I've served in the armed forces briefly, don't consider myself a veteran of anything...

Got a guy at here work hi-fiving everyone in sight because he was a cook in the army. never saw a weapon upclose after boot camp... Maybe I'm too sarcastic, but a veteran ??

jluetjen · jluetjen's Garage

I'd tend to believe that a Veteran is anyone who has served (honorably) in the Armed Forces. Now being a "Viet Nam Vet" or "WWII Vet" Vet is something more specific and implies having served in Viet Nam during WWII. To me, I don't care if you were a SEAL or "flew a desk", you were serving our country.

In the words of Milton:

Quote:

"His state
Is kingly: thousands at his bidding speed,
And post o’er land and ocean without rest;
They also serve who only stand and wait.”

masraum · 11-11-2009, 10:10 AM

I'd say that anyone that served is a vet (although I'm not sure I have an opinion about the dishonorable part).

It takes every member of the military for the military to be successful. Also, just because someone wasn't called to serve in a time of war doesn't lessen the fact that they signed up and were ready to serve. (giving folks the benefit of doubt).

Yes, being in something whether it was war, a conflict or even just attacked by rebels does make you stand out a bit against the folks that were lucky enough not to have participated. But since wars/conflicts/etc... aren't scheduled....

If someone signed up, then they deserve the recognition (assuming they didn't end up as traitors).

speeder · speeder's Garage

Well, this guy is definitely not a vet:

Palm Springs man charged with wearing unauthorized military medals to surrender | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times