Haggis
Army.ca Veteran
- Reaction score
- 3,092
- Points
- 1,140
Do I consider myself a veteran?
I served in faraway places on ops and on excercises; missed first steps, birthdays, kids graduations and anniversaries. I missed my mom's passing away. There were two deaths on my last op tour, none by hostile acts, but those two soldiers are just as dead and they died just as far from home. I have watched friends and subordinates being lowered into the ground on too many occasions. Only one died in a "declared war".
I've had the shyte scared out of me more than once. I saw my life flash in front of my eyes on my last tour (didn't like how it ended, either.) but I'm still here. I was paid well and awarded medals for those sacrifices.
I'm on a pension for injuries sustained while on duty, but I'm not on a category (yet).
Looking at the context of how "veteran" was defined in previous generations, I doubt many of us would qualify or consider ouselves as having endured the same hardships as those who have gone before us. But times have changed, wars have changed and so must the definition of "veteran".
I carry a little VAC card too, but I wouldn't dare use it. Do I consider myself a Veteran? No.
But my government and my family do.
I served in faraway places on ops and on excercises; missed first steps, birthdays, kids graduations and anniversaries. I missed my mom's passing away. There were two deaths on my last op tour, none by hostile acts, but those two soldiers are just as dead and they died just as far from home. I have watched friends and subordinates being lowered into the ground on too many occasions. Only one died in a "declared war".
I've had the shyte scared out of me more than once. I saw my life flash in front of my eyes on my last tour (didn't like how it ended, either.) but I'm still here. I was paid well and awarded medals for those sacrifices.
I'm on a pension for injuries sustained while on duty, but I'm not on a category (yet).
Looking at the context of how "veteran" was defined in previous generations, I doubt many of us would qualify or consider ouselves as having endured the same hardships as those who have gone before us. But times have changed, wars have changed and so must the definition of "veteran".
I carry a little VAC card too, but I wouldn't dare use it. Do I consider myself a Veteran? No.
But my government and my family do.