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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Yaarel" data-source="post: 7844684" data-attributes="member: 58172">veteran (ˈvɛtərən; ˈvɛtrən)n1. a. a person or thing that has given long service in some capacityb. (as modifier): veteran firemen.2. (Military) a. a soldier who has seen considerable active serviceb. (as modifier): veteran soldier.3. (Military) US and Canadian a person who has served in the military forces[C16: from Latin veterānus, from vetus old]vet•er•an (ˈvɛt ər ən, ˈvɛ trən)n.1. a person who has had long service or experience in an occupation, office, or the like: a veteran of the police force.2. a person who has served in a military force, esp. during a war.adj.3. (of a soldier) having served in a military force, esp. during a war.4. experienced through long service: a veteran member of Congress.5. of or pertaining to veterans.[1495–1505; < Latin veterānus mature, experienced =veter-, s. of vetus old + -ānus -an1]vet·er·an (vĕt′ər-ən, vĕt′rən)n.1.a. A person who has served in the armed forces.b. An old soldier who has seen long service.2. A person who is long experienced or practiced in an activity or capacity: a veteran of political campaigns.[Latin veterānus, from vetus, veter-, old; see wet- in Indo-European roots.]So, it is possible we mean different things when we say the word ‘veteran’.There are moreorless two different meanings of ‘veteran’.One meaning for the word ‘veteran’ is a seasoned ‘old timer’ who is a master of war, or by analogy, a master of any area of expertise. This is absolutely what I mean, when I am referring to who is or who isnt a ‘veteran’.But the other meaning of ‘veteran’ is technically anyone who has ever been in the military − even if it was technically, just for a couple of months, if someone got drafted just as the war is ending.Now, military service when voluntarily enlisting (whether there is a war or not) is say 2 to 6 years of service. So they are out of high school at college level. When they completer their term of service, then they have effectively graduated college. They could be ‘professional’ soldiers after this.Anyway, in my eyes, it is almost offensive to refer to a level 1 character as a ‘veteran’.But if someone is speaking in the technical sense of ever having seen war, even if only briefly. Then, well, that is a legitimate meaning of the word ‘veteran’ too.</blockquote>

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