Do you see an issue with service members and veterans defining who they are by their military service?

I think most people want to validate their lives somehow. They want to be able to look back and say that they did something that mattered. And to that end, military service to your country certainly fits the bill. But the answer to your question may just come down to what we all hold as most valuable as individuals. I personally see my role as a husband and father carrying more weight than my military service but that's just my perspective. If I were to fail at those things I would consider my life a failure despite any military achievements. But for others they may see things differently. A lot of factors come into play when we look at our lives and try to find meaning. I base my self worth on the Bible and my Christian faith. So while my military service and even my success or failure as a husband and father makes a difference to me and determines how I define my life, at the end of the day the sum of all these parts do not equal my actual worth. Whether I die a champion on top of the mountain or an utter failure in the bottom of a ditch, I will be defined by God as being someone He was willing to die for. That's what keeps me going even when things are going bad.

I am more concerned with folks who define their entire lives by the rise and fall of their preferred professional sports franchise.

There are potential issues that could arise from veterans NOT defining their entire lives by their service.

In fact, there are potential issues that could arise from veterans defining their lives in any way whatsoever. Because...humans.

Like so many other aspects of life, such a thing is only a problem when it seriously impacts their lives in an adverse way. If a veteran wants to center his entire life around his status as a (fill in the blank) veteran...more power to him. Good or bad, he needs to deal with the consequences.