Are you an OIF/OEF veteran if you supported from outside the Iraq/Afghanistan borders?
Perhaps I should reword my question a bit: I'm not asking about officially on paper am I a vet of these operations. I know on paper i'm not despite receiving hostile fire pay, as I was not awarded the Iraq or Afghanistan campaign medals. I did receive the Air Force Expeditionary Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. It just gets old when someone asks, "Are you an Iraq or Afghanistan Veteran?" and I have to explain, "Yes and no but more no, I supported both operations from within the AOR and outside the AOR, but technically i'm not a veteran of Iraq or Afghanistan because I didn't have my boots on Iraqi or Afghanistan soil." People look at me funny everytime and always ask for clarification. However, i'm not going to say yes to something if its wrong for me to do so. I'm asking opinions whether or not it is inappropriate for me to just say "yes", or should I just say "no".
As a military veteran of OIF and OEF and father suffering from PTSD, why do I feel the only cure is to go back to war?
I'm guessing that you haven't gotten help with this whether you've asked for it or not. If you've looked for help and still feel this way, you likely haven't found the right organization. Keep looking, and don't assume that you have to deal with this on your own. Take a look at Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.Notice that this is something that won't likely be cured at this time, but it can be managed. That's not a bad thing. There are many medical problems that can't be cured but are managed. Millions of people live with such things.I can't say for sure why you think of going back to war, but one idea that is frequently mentioned is that those who have fought in wars develop strong bonds with those in their units that nothing in civilian life seems to match. If that's the case, you might want to find local veterans groups that do important work in your community to join. It wouldn't have the intensity of the bonding in war, but it might get you something of what you need.But the only advice that you should definitely take from someone you don't know, as with Quora, is to get professional help. Treat everything else as a suggestion for your evaluation.
Does a veteran have to have been in a war-zone, why?
No.A military veteran is a status inferred upon anyone who's served in the military. Usually you serve under honorable conditions and receive a discharge indicating so, But not always the case to be considered a Veteran.A combat veteran is reserve for those who saw combat while serving or who served in the theater of combat. Someone may be a combat veteran and never have faced actual combat, although they were in harms way during their service.However this whole distinction that the public wants to make between combat and non combat is a bit ludicrous in today's modern volunteer armies. If someone volunteered for service and did their duty, why does it matter if they saw combat or not. The fact that they volunteer and were trained and ready for war should be enough to receive commendation and at the very least be conferred the status of veteran. That there are some (who've never served) who want to impose limits or distinctions upon military veterans based on where they served is disrespectful. A man who served and did their duty honorably is a veteran period. There is no purpose to add caveats or demand more qualifications from a service-member other than to diminish them and their service.Let's stick with identifying Veterans as those who served and be done with it.
Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care?
What? Take a look if the government can run anything and look at the post office? The post office runs very well, don't you think? Hmm... Well, anyway, reading something that has every word capitalized is tiring. Here's an article that says that veterans are more satisfied about their health care than the general public: http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrel... Here's an article that says that veterans are opposed to current plans to privatize some of their health care: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/10/v... Here's an article that explains how veteran's hospital became the best in health care: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/articl... Here's an article about how the revamped veteran's health care system has become a model for health care systems: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/21/AR2005082101073.html This article says that the VA health care system is "in shambles." http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/06/24/va-medical-shambles-veterans-groups-say/ My thoughts are that the Veteran's Administration is a bit underfunded. It is socialized medicine, so, although it is taking care of our veterans, there is a reluctance by some members of congress to fund it properly. But, they do a good job. My father is a veteran of three wars and he would not hesitate to use the VA. The VA should be funded properly, and if it was funded properly, it would continue to demonstrate that the government can, indeed run health care properly. And, if you want to include Medicaire, consider that Medicaire runs on a much lower profit margin than private health care, but continues to operate efficiently. So with Medicaire and the VA, we have two medical systems that the government runs well.
Can you renew an expired military id after being honorably discharged?
As the others have posted, your Active Duty military ID expires on your ETS date. However, you should actually still have two years of commissary and PX privileges, and if you were in a combat zone at all, you should also have six months of free TRICARE. What you should do is take your ID card to your nearest DEERS facility - this could be a nearby Active Duty base, or it might be the headquarters for a National Guard or Reserves unit. They can look up your information from your personnel files and issue you a tan old-style (pre CAC) ID card that you can use for whatever you may still be entitled to. If you are eligible for TRICARE, you aren't done yet. You then need to call TRICARE and get and fill out an application for TRICARE Prime. You will still be eligible for it, but it's not automatic. You need to apply for it. You can do all of this at a TMC if you are located near one, otherwise, on the internet and phone. They will then either input your information at the TMC or telephonically, and you should be good to go. If you've recently ETSed, especially if you are an OEF/OIF Vet, you should also go to the VA hospital or clinic nearest you and do your initial intake. They'll set you up for screening and assign your Primary Care Provider. This is a good resource for OEF/OIF Vets, as they automatically put you in a high enough category that your costs will be pro-rated for your most recent year's taxable income (which might be close to nothing if you were deployed for most of it.) FREE for anything that might be combat-related.
Anxiety military discharge and family health coverage?
If you are I think it is 50% Service Connected you can Obtain it through the VA...ChampusVA or Tricare... not positive on the names... (As a single I have never needed it...LMAO) I am seriously worried about You... To be Honest you ain't going to make it to 20 years... Your PTSD/TBI will see to that... You MUST obtain "Hard Copies" of "Any & All" of your In-Service Medical Records...ASAP...As in Wednesday AM... (Before they get Lost or are Changed...Happens a lot...) (They are on Computer now so anyone can DELETE and Redo them...) Keep in a Very Secure Place (Your Wall Locker is not Secure enough...) and keep up dating them until Discharge... If you have ever been in Actual Combat ??? Ever been hit by an IED etc... ??? Ever been Wounded ??? Multiple Deployments into Combat ??? If you have been in any of the above... You DO NOT have an anxiety Disorder... You have PTSD and maybe TBI... Need to PUSH to get that entered into your Medical Records ASAP... Before an MEB is started... They DO NOT want to give you an MEB or a PTSD Diagnosis... Be very careful as they will start pushing you so that you screw up so they can give you an Involuntary Separation (Punitive)... See a lot of that BS...Do Not take a Chapter 5-17 that is basically screwing you out of ALL Benifits... Have anymore questions you can contact me via this sight...
Civilians in military chow hall?
If they are in possession of a CAC they are eligible to use the DEFAC, AFEES. Government contractors can and are issued CAC cards. Vet-USAF / Former OIF - OEF contractor