Congo-Kinshasa Some veterans from the Belgian commitment of the Congolese to World War II live in communities throughout the Congo. Though they received compensation from the government during the rule of the dictator
Mobutu Sese Seko, after his overthrow they no longer receive pensions. Britain, with its historic distrust of standing armies, did little for its veterans before the 19th century. It did set up two small hospitals for them in the 1680s. In London and other cities the streets teemed with disabled or disfigured veterans begging for alms. The First World War focused national attention on veterans, especially those who had been partly or wholly disabled. The King's National Roll Scheme (KNRS) was an employment program for disabled veterans of the First World War. Kowalsky says it was practical, innovative, and ahead of its time and was the most important piece of legislation enacted for disabled veterans in interwar Britain. In addition to direct aid, it stimulated a national discussion regarding the need for employment programs for disabled veterans and the responsibility of the state, setting up a future demand for more benefits. In the 21st century, Britain has one of the highest densities of veterans in a major country, with 13 million in 2000, or 219 per 1,000 population.
United States veteran at
Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, in July 2001 '', pictured here shortly after a ceremony marking the anniversary of the end of World War II In the United States, a
veteran is a person who has served in the
armed forces (including the Reserve and certain members of the
United States National Guard) and was discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. A common misconception is that only those who have served in combat or those who have retired from active duty can be called military veterans. In 1990, 40% of young Americans had a veteran for a parent; this decreased to 16% in 2014. In 2016, of the veterans who were born outside of the United States,
Mexican and
Filipino Americans made up the two largest populations, with 3% of all veterans having been born outside of the United States. As of 2017 there are some 21 million American veterans. According to the Pew Research Center, "Among men, only 4% of
millennials [born 1981-96] are veterans, compared with 47%" of men in their 70s and 80s, "many of whom came of age during the
Korean War and its aftermath."
Veterans' benefits in the United States President
Abraham Lincoln, in his
second inaugural address in 1865 towards the end of the
American Civil War, famously called for good treatment of veterans: "[T]o care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan". The American Civil War produced veterans' organizations, such as the
Grand Army of the Republic and
United Confederate Veterans. The treatment of veterans changed after the
First World War. In the years following, discontented veterans became a source of instability. They could quickly organize, had links to the army and often had arms themselves. The
Bonus Army of unemployed veterans was one of the most important protest movements of the
Great Depression, marching on Washington, D.C. to get a claimed bonus now that Congress had promised them decades in the future. Each state of the United States sets specific criteria for state-specific veterans' benefits. For federal medical benefits from the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals, prior to 7 September 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-connected disability stipend, the time limits are not applicable.
American veteran experience after World War II After the Second World War, in part due to the experience of the First World War, most of the participating states set up elaborate veterans' administrations. Within the United States, it was veterans groups, like the
American Legion and
Veterans of Foreign Wars organization, that pushed for and got the
G.I. Bill enacted. These gave veterans access to free or subsidized education and health care. The newly educated GIs created a significant economic impact, and with the aid of VA loans were able to buy housing and establish themselves as part of a growing American middle class. The explosion of the
suburbs created sufficient housing for veterans and their families.
American veteran experience after OEF and OIF Many veterans of
Operation Enduring Freedom and
Operation Iraqi Freedom have had to face challenges unique to warfare in the 21st century. One significant difference between OEF and OIF and previous wars is a greater dependence on reservists and repeat deployments. Up to 80% of troops deployed at the beginning of OEF were part of the
National Guard and
Reserve and about 40% of currently serving military members have been deployed more than once. This has meant that many deployed troops, not being as "steeped in military culture" have had more difficult transitions into military life, and for many the increased redeployment rate has meant more transitions, more uncertainty, longer terms, and shorter dwell times, all of which contribute to greater stress. Due to medical advances, warfare in the 21st century tends to yield more survivors with severe injuries which soldiers in previous wars would have died from.
Female veterans in the U.S. Women have served in the United States military for over two hundred years. Some female veterans perceive themselves as discriminated against by their male counterparts and, as such, women who have served in the armed forces have sometimes been known as "the invisible veterans". Women were not fully recognized as veterans until after WWII, and prior to this they were not eligible for VA benefits. The current percentage of U.S. Veterans who are women is more than 8 percent. Women make up nearly 11.6 percent of OEF/OIF/OND Veterans. A tri-state (Washington, Idaho, Oregon) women veterans conference in
Pendleton, Oregon, in April 2008, attracted 362 women veterans, according to the
East Oregonian newspaper. A growing number of states are recognizing June 12 as
Women Veterans Day, either through proclamation or legislative action. On August 5, 2011, Erica Borggren was appointed Director of the
Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs and has been "creating a new Women Veterans Program to help address the issue that women veterans often do not self-identify as veterans and do not take advantage of veterans' benefits to the same extent as their male peers." She gathered in a webcast panel moderated by Stacey Baca with Dr. Rebecca J. Hannagan and Kimberly Mitchell at the
Pritzker Military Library on January 24, 2013, to discuss important issues facing female veterans in today's military. Black veterans from
World War II continued to be denied equality at home despite President
Harry S. Truman's desegregation of the military after World War II. Black veterans went on to play a central role in the
civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. The
National Association for Black Veterans is an organization that provides advocacy and support for African American and other minority veterans. ==Health effects of military service and treatment for veterans==