ournatIon ’ sveterans : WhoaretheyandWhatWeCandotoheLPthem
Military & Veterans affairs Committee Chairs : RobertBarton — Rumberger / Kirk & SteveCollins — LawOfficeofRoryWeiner
thisarticleservesas anoverviewofour nation ’ sveteran populationinorder tobetterservethem .
This article serves as an overview of our nation ’ s veteran population in order to better serve them . To accomplish this , it is important to understand who is considered a veteran , the composition of our veteran population , and their needs .
Under Title 38 of the Code of Federal Regulations , a veteran is defined as “ a person who served in the active military , naval , air , or space service , and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable .” 1 Veterans come from one of the six branches of the military — the Army , Navy , Air Force , Marine Corps , Coast Guard , and Space Force . They serve as part of active duty , reserve , and / or National Guard forces and are afforded different benefits based on the character of their military service .
The majority of veteran benefits today are derived from the Servicemen ’ s Readjustment Act of 1944 , or G . I . Bill , which was enacted to help the 12.1 million World War II veterans returning home . The G . I . Bill provided veterans with low-cost mortgages , business loans , unemployment benefits , and tuition assistance for college and vocational schools .
These benefits , coupled with a government veteran health care
system , continue to provide a critical platform to assist veterans returning from America ’ s wars with their transition to civilian life and with their medical care .
According to the U . S . Census Bureau , there are approximately 16.1 million veterans in the U . S . today . 2 Within this population exist several groups , each unique based on their period of service .
The first group consists of our aging WWII , Korean War , and Vietnam War-era veterans . Many were drafted in their youth , fought overseas under extreme hardships , and returned home needing assistance to transition back to civilian life . They comprise almost 60 % of America ’ s veteran population today — almost 9 million veterans . 3 Many are in their late-60 ’ s to 90 ’ s and need assistance regarding long-term medical care , disability benefits , housing , estate planning , survivor benefits and elder law .
The other group of veterans , almost 7 million , consists of those who served during the period between the First Gulf War ( 1990- 91 ) through the War on Terrorism ( 2001-2021 ) — America ’ s longest conflict . 4 Approximately 3.7 million veterans served in Iraq , Afghanistan , and elsewhere after the 9 / 11 attacks . 5 These newer veterans , many in their late-30 ’ s and 40 ’ s ,
have a variety of different legal needs from assistance with filing disability claims and post-9 / 11 education benefits with the Department of Veterans Affairs , to seeking employment and housing assistance . Unfortunately , many are unaware of the benefits for which they qualify and need assistance navigating the bureaucracy and laws to obtain them .
In summary , this is our veteran population today , and they could use our legal help . n
1
38 U . S . C . S . § 101 ; see also Paulson v . Brown , 7 Vet . App . 466 ( U . S . 1995 ).
2
Fact Sheet , America ’ s Wars . [ Washington D . C .] Office of Public Affairs , Department of Veterans Affairs , November , 2020 .
3
Vespa , Jonathan E . Those Who Served : America ’ s Veterans From World War II to the War On Terror . [ Washington , D . C .]: U . S . Department of Commerce , U . S . Census Bureau , 2020 , vol . 43 , Table 1 , p . 2 .
4
Id . Table 2 , p . 8 .
5
Id .
Author : Bryan P . Hernandez , Esq . Colonel , US Army ( Ret .) – Dinsmore & Shohl , LLC
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