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Eligibility
Definition of a Veteran
| Era of Serivce | Dates | Requirement for Veteran Status |
|---|---|---|
WWI | April 6, 1917 November 11, 1918 | 90 days of active duty service, one day during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions. |
Peacetime | November 12, 1918 September. 15 1940 | 180 days of regular active duty service and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions. |
WWII | Merchant Marine: December 7, 1941, to December 31, 1946 September 16, 1940 July 25, 1947 | 90 days of active duty service, one day during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions. |
Peacetime | July 26, 1947 June 24. 1950 | 180 days of regular active duty service and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions. |
Korea | June 25, 1950 January 31, 1955 | 90 days of active duty service, one day during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions. |
Korean Defense | July 28, 1954 (To be determined later) | 90 days of active duty service, last discharge under honorable conditions and the Korean Defense Service Medal. |
Vietnam I | February 1, 1955 August 4, 1964 | 180 days of regular active duty service and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions. |
Vietnam II | August 5, 1964 May 7, 1975 | 90 days of active duty service, one day during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions. |
Peacetime | May 8, 1975 August 1, 1990 | 180 days of regular active duty service and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions. |
Lebanon Campaign* | August 25, 1982 (To be determined later) | 90 days of active duty service, one day during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions. |
Grenada Campaign | October 25, 1983 December 15, 1983 | 90 days of active duty service, one day during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions. |
Panama Campaign | December 20, 1989 January 31, 1990 | 90 days of active duty service, one day during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions. |
Persian Gulf | August 2, 1990 (to be determined later) | 90 days of active duty service, one day during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions. |
Naval and Marine DD214 must indicate Expeditionary Medal. All DD214's must specify campaign: Lebanon, Granada, or Panama.
Guard Members
For Guard Members to qualify they must have 180 days and have been activated under Title 10 of the U.S. Code -OR- Members who were activated under Title 10 or Title 32 of the U.S. Code or Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 33, sections 38, 40, and 41 must have 90 days, at least one of which was during wartime, per the chart on this page.
National Guard Update
A bill signed into law in 2016 gives official veteran status to National Guard members who served 20 years or more. Previously, Guard members were considered veterans only if they served 180 days or more in a federal status outside of training. Anyone who has reached 20 years of service, even if they were never activated on a [federal] order for more than 180 days outside of training are considered to be a Veteran.
For Reservists to qualify, they must have been called to regular active duty, at which point their eligibility can be determined by the chart on this page.
Training Duty Exception
Active duty service in the armed forces shall not include active duty for training in the Army or Air National Guard or active duty for training as a Reservist in the Armed Forces of the United States.
Minimum Service Exception for Death or Disability
It is not necessary that an applicant have completed the minimum service for wartime or peacetime campaign if he/she served some time in the campaign and was awarded the Purple Heart, or suffered a service-connected disability per the Discharge Certificate, or died in the service under honorable conditions.