When We Say ‘Combat Veteran,’ What Do We Really Mean?

MAJ Ken Landgren respectfully, are those both required? For example, Desmond Doss, the ww2 medic who didn’t carry a rifle. On the other hand, there are lots of soldiers who have returned fire, but maybe not taken direct fire themselves. (1st truck hits IED. Guys in 4th truck get out and shoot. Oversimplified, I know).

In essence they are in harms way if you want to split hairs.

MAJ Ken Landgren - certainly not trying to split hairs. But that’s where the debate gets interesting..what is ‘in harms way’?

Most soldiers never leave the FOB (unfortunately, I’d argue that too many of them don’t even clean their weapon while deployed), but FOBs take IDF all the time. Constant threat of VBIEDs, green on blues, etc. even if nothing happens, the threat is very real, and they’re always in harms way, even on the big boys like KAF or Bastion. Over the years, even they have taken serious attacks.

It’s just an interesting debate with no easy answer.