A veteran (from Latin vetus, meaning "old") is a person who is experienced in a particular area, and is particularly used to refer to people in the armed forces. It often refers to retired service personnel. A veteran is one who has served in the armed forces and has an honorable discharge; a common misconception is that one has either been in combat and/or is retired from active duty to be called a veteran. Because of this widely held misconception, women have often been excluded from this equation. Each state (of the United States) sets specific criteria for state specific veterans benefits. For medical benefits from the (United States) VA (Veterans Administration) hospitals, prior to Sept. 7, 1980 the veteran must have served at least 180 days of active duty, after the above mentioned date the veteran must have served at least 24 months. However, if the veteran was medically discharged and receives a VA service connection disability the time limits are not applicable.

For most of history, states (nations) did not have any fixed standing army. Almost all warriors were farmers for the bulk of the year and thus had a secondary occupation to support them during times of peace. The first state to face significant veterans affairs problems was the Roman Empire whose professional army of career soldiers needed some new role when they retired. They were usually given land in the newly conquered lands, and the need for such lands motivated the empire's expansion. They could also voluntarily enlist again at the invitation of the consul or other commander as evocati.

Beyond giving veterans free or discounted lands in colonies, governments did little about them. There was little or no aid for veterans suffering mental of physical disabilities and those wounded in war often had to turn to begging or crime.

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RT @tweetmeme t r u t h o u t | Veterans Group Calls on Soldiers to Refuse Orders to Deploy to Afghanistan and Iraq http://bit.ly/5i4c9S
Bubbleinthecity (Bubble Bobble) Sun, 03 Jan 2010 11:27:47 -0000
RT @tweetmeme t r u t h o u t | Veterans Group Calls on Soldiers to Refuse Orders to Deploy to Afghanistan and Iraq http://bit.ly/5i4c9S
Improve veterans' health with hospital http://bit.ly/7aPujq
NewsForVets (Peter Guidry) Sun, 03 Jan 2010 11:26:57 -0000
Improve veterans' health with hospital http://bit.ly/7aPujq
@DJLA67 or they call veterans terrorists they have no freakin clue
hot702jock (Mike ) Sun, 03 Jan 2010 11:21:32 -0000
@DJLA67 or they call veterans terrorists they have no freakin clue
HelpUSVets Iowa veterans gain freedom, family through foster program: If they weren't living in Joe Wymer's house, ... http://bit.ly/6azlUn
HelpUSVets (Charles Turner) Sun, 03 Jan 2010 11:17:27 -0000
HelpUSVets Iowa veterans gain freedom, family through foster program: If they weren't living in Joe Wymer's house, ... http://bit.ly/6azlUn
RT @project_65: Our motto means "Supporting Veterans". ALL veterans from WWII to today's Afghanistan heroes. Help us to support them go ...
LucieMR (Lucie Ruddock) Sun, 03 Jan 2010 11:09:47 -0000
RT @project_65: Our motto means "Supporting Veterans". ALL veterans from WWII to today's Afghanistan heroes. Help us to support them go ...
Iowa veterans gain freedom, family through foster program|Winterset, Ia. - If they weren?t living in Joe Wymer?s .. http://oohja.com/x4iOG
homegrownstuff (Andy Bryant) Sun, 03 Jan 2010 11:08:14 -0000
Iowa veterans gain freedom, family through foster program|Winterset, Ia. - If they weren?t living in Joe Wymer?s .. http://oohja.com/x4iOG

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