What is a Veteran?

November 01, 2011

That's a pretty odd question, right? But you'd be surprised just how popular of a search that is on Google around this time of year.

Veterans Day is November 11th, and as it approaches, some people are just not aware of why they have been given the day off. To help shed some light on this subject, I'm going to fill you in on just what a veteran is and why you should always remember.

Who or What is a Veteran?

A veteran is any individual who has significant experience with something. For Veterans Day, this is anyone who has served in the armed forces. That means anyone in active service or retired from the Marines, Army, Air Force or Navy is a veteran. Veterans Day is a specifically American holiday, celebrated to honor the service men and women who have fought to keep our country free and the world safe.

So as you can see, it's a pretty simple thing. Any individual who is in the military in any branch of the armed forces is a veteran. Nothing specific about any single war or time period, just any service member at all at any time. Now you know!