Va Defination Of Combat Vet?

[stillhere]

This is mainly just a curiosity of mine. As many of my fellow Vietnam vets knows, when we landed in the land of the devil back in the 60's quite a few of us served in support units. I served in Red Beach and as luck had it did not even make it to my duty station for over 4 weeks serving in Long Bein 99th Replacement doing guard duty,KP and the like. Anyhow once I did get sent up to my unit I did not work in my MOS due to there were already 3 position filled and one did not open for 4 months. During those 4 months I just sat around going to the PX, Beach and the USO. Yeah right! Actually I pulled perimeter patrol duty (so I could drink during the day) and when I wasn't doing that I pulled tower guard duty. Even after I did finally get to work in my MOS on the flight line I was always armed with a 45 side arm.

Does that mean I should be looked at as a combat vet? or is it just for the 11B infantry badge guys.

Take care one and all and have a Great Thanksgiving!

Stillhere

[Stretch]

I don't propose to interpret Congressional law. I was just stating 1154[a] and 1154. I wasn't in the Army and I don't have any idea what an Army Veterans did or did not do. I would suggest that Army Veterans have no idea about Air Force or Navy actions during the war.

I saw more than one full body bag. Does this get down to who saw the most body bags? I don't think so, and I most certainly do not have the right to judge what an Army or Marine Vet did during the war.

[stillhere]

Stillhere

Are you bitching or bragging?

neither why? Just asking a question looking for and answer? and wanting to be rated fairly. I served in a combat zone received combat pay and did some things out of my MOS to secure my post.

Do you have a problem with that B)

Stillhere

[stillhere]

You can't "file for combat status". Combat status is not a disability.... its a situation/circumstance of your service. Some Vets were in a support unit and others in combat arms unit. Most combat arms Vets never have experienced combat; thus, do not qualify as "combat Vets". Combat Vets have experienced combat, direct combat with the enemy. Pls see below, my post on Nov 22nd, below.

Thanks Namvet for a very good and complete post. I get the point that if it is not in my dd-214 or any of my records just let it drop. I know what I did back then and a couple of my buddies I have stayed in touch with also know what they did. I am sure other vets of Nam went through the same things as me if not more. Hell we had one guy in our support unit who took to patrol so well he tranferred to an infantry unit.

Thanks to all, Stillhere

[sixthscents]

And while I understand your frustration.... that concession (section 1145) is actually a very big one. It removes a BIG rpoblem with veteran records in Vietnam, and elsewhere and is because a lot of soldiers were treated at an aid station and the documentation from it never hit their medical records. Some people fought long and hard to get the VA to make this concession...

[evandc]

Some of us never claimed to be Combat Vets. I happened to be a REMF (not my term), but often used for non-combat members. I never had any real problem with a PTSD Stressor, as I listed one car bombing & gave them to the minute details. Furnished the VA pictures, newpaper articles, three networks reports for that date. For good measure had a copy of the report from what was the Environmental Studies Group, verifying incident & names of 28 injured AF personnel. Got to 70% while working & after I left work pending Medical Retirement got 100 (70%-PTSD, 30%-TDIU) P & T.

In 2004 had Prostate Cancer & got 100% which gave me a "SMC" worth another $295 a month.

Too many vets try to be Combat Vets for VA rating purposes & the VA plays with them for years. If you have a CIB, CAR or other Combat Awards with "V" You should indeed tell those clowns you are a COMBAT VET. A strange twist to my story, 5 years after getting 100% got records straight & have Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (AFOUA) with "V" device & 2 oak leaf clusters. Would that been worth mentioning to VA in those previous claims, don't know.

Don