are people still considered a U.S veteran even if they where in the army for a few months & quit?

[RayEarth]

I was in the army for a few months before i decided to quit, so do i have to say i'm a veteran of the army when applying on the college application sheet or can i just check no, because i was in for such a short time?

 

[Spoooon]

I think you're probably supposed to check no.

 

[Monel Funkawitz]

To be considered a "Veteran" means you are a Veteran of War. To have this, you needed to have served in the service during a period of war activity, and have been stationed in a war or hot zone. I am a VFW after serving four years in the A.F. because I was part of Desert Fox and Desert Eagle, and was stationed over in United Arab Emirates. 53 days of which was spent in a "Hot Zone" I was in a few other places too. Some got pretty crazy

In your case, you are not a veteran. The reason they ask you that is to see if you can get the VFW benefits, and GI Bill... neither of which I don't think you can get (GI Bill for sure)

Sorry bro

 

[compuwiz1]

Has something changed? Last time I checked, quitting was desertion and not allowed. Typically such a discharge would occur only after a proper courtmartial and then with a dishonorable discharge. Hardly a veteran!

Monel Funkawitz, you don't have to go to war to be considered a veteran, only serve your country and fulfill the term of the enlistment you commit to.

 

[DABANSHEE]

No, in these days of a fully volunteer defence forces (in the OECD anyway), they know that an 'employee' who doesnt want to be there, is worse than having having to trainup a raw recruit. So useally they won't stop someone leaving.

Here in Australia, there are 30 people applying for every enlistment spot, so its no big deal replacing someone.

In some situations though, one has to buy there discharge - I know someone who bought his discharge out of the navy after 4 months, because he couldn't 'get with the program' or just didn't want to.

Pilots in particullar have to pay many thousands to get an early discharge - In Australia, say you joined up as a trainee pilot, well you then have to sign an agreement saying that once the 6 years (or whatever it is) of training is up you then have to stay in the airforce for another 10 years (or something), as its not worth there while training you up otherwise. Its the same if you enlist as an aprentice, You have to agree to stay in the army, navy or airforce for so many years after your aprentiship is over, if you leave before that indentured period you have to buy your discharge.(the Australian defence forces have both civiilian aprentices & enlisted aprentices, they often work side by side, & even go to the same tech, one day a week. However when the civilian aprentice does his 4 years he gets nice big award tradesmen wages but no guarantee of future employment so he might have to look elseware for those tradesman wages, while when the enlisted aprentices does his 4 years he becomes a technician with the rank of warrent officer. When he finally does leave the services he'l also get a nice big trademens award wage as he'l have the same trade ticket as the civie bloke he did his aprentiship with).

Really its only in wartime or if you've been stockaded that 'quitting' is consided dessertion, these days.

 

[thebestMAX]

MONTEL is right except it doesnt matter where you served but when. I was in during VietNam but served in Montana where they could shoot at you but you couldnt shoot back.

How do you quit the service anyway??

 

[unxpurg8d]

Compuwiz, for awhile the little troops had "stress" cards - they could call a timeout for stress by showing it to their drill sargeant, supervisor, etc. Argh. The Army has definitely changed.


RayEarth, mind if I ask what you didn't like about it that caused you to quit? Trying to talk a friend into going, and just curious.

 

[burnedout]

Ray.... If I were you, I'd check no. But see below.

If you were chaptered out of the Army, you probably have an RE (Reenlistment)code on your DD214 which is a 3 series. For example 3E, 3C or something similar.

Additionally, it depends upon your discharge. Honorable, Other than Honorable, General, etc. If the discharge is Honorable, then check yes.

With most colleges, the block is there for VA benefits. They direct you to the VA representative at the college to help you collect the benefits.

However, if the college you are applying to is very selective, then the type of discharge may have a bearing on admission. Ask one of their counselors first if you are unsure.

compuwiz1 is technically correct. Fullfillment of the enlistment contract entitles one to veteran status. There are exceptions such as disability through service connected injury/illness, overweight, or for the ladies; pregnacy.

 

[Tiranee]

To get Veteran status you have to serve your full term. Doesn't have to be in war time. So if you quit like a weenie then no your not a vet.

 

[Suicidal]

For an enlisted to go AWOL, the Army doesn't care too much... but, as my brother says (he's a first lieutenant - quartermaster corp - ) if an officer goes AWOL, off to Levenworth he/she goes. My borther has known of one officer who went AWOL and a couple enlisted who stole some rifles and skipped town... but you can only go so far on the island of Oahu, lol. It's not like the Army WONT find you.

Why did you quit anyway? Was it too hard for you? It's not for everyone, my brother doesn't want to deal with whiney soldiers who miss their mommy so it's better they be quitters.

 

[DABANSHEE]

Well the vast majority of officers have done there 6 years ,so they just have to give notice & the're out after a couple of months. Mostly its only during war that extended service periods are enforced.

Have you ever heard of a colonal, brigadeer or General that's been prosecuted for taking 'early retirement'?

Basically if you've done your 6 years & then you continue on & sign up for another 6 years (or another 6 years after that, etc), you can leave whenever you want as long as you give a couple of months notice.

"Why did you quit anyway? Was it too hard for you? It's not for everyone, my brother doesn't want to deal with whiney soldiers who miss their mommy so it's better they be quitters."

You shouldn't make any judgements without knowing all the facts - maybe his mother or wife was dieing so he felt the need to be back home to be with her. Anyway some people just arn't suited to that sort of life, it doesn't mean they were quitters or cowards. During WWII, the Australian navy had civilans stay behind enamy lines as coastwatchers. Most ended up being cought, tortured then executed by the nips, but not before they helped turned the tide of the war in the Solomons. Vanderbilt, said after the war, that it was the Coastwatchers that contributed to the allied victory in the Solomons, more than anuy other group, as they were the ones radioing back to the fleet whenever the nips were sending warships or barges down the 'Slot'. They also radioed in & forawrned the marines of air-strikes.

Now what has all this got to do with the price of eggs? Well about 15% of the coastwatchers were people who couldn't stand the disipline of normal military life & went AWOL. The Admiralty then did a study & found that many were not cowards, they were just loners or individuals who thought much of the military's disipline was meaningless. After that many 'quitters'were given the option of volunteering to be a coastwatcher, even though it ccould mean almost certain death, rather than being confined to barracks. That is not the option that a coward would take. Later the army & navy started looking out for people who were refusing to bend to the ways of the military during training & they were assesed to see if they 'quitters' or if they were loners/individuals. If it was the later case, many were taken out of the general program & were specially trained up for prepared for missions that instead needed a loner & someone with self disipline, rather than 'army' diseipline.