Veteran Assistance

What is a Veteran?A veteran is defined by federal law, moral code and military service as “Any, Any, Any”… A military veteran is Any person who served for Any length of time in Any military service branch.

What is a War Veteran?

A war veteran is any GI (Government Issue) ordered to foreign soil or waters to participate in direct or support activity against an enemy.

What is a Combat Veteran?

A combat veteran is any GI who experiences any level of hostility for any duration resulting from offensive, defensive or friendly fire military action involving a real or perceived enemy in any pre- or post-designated theater of combat (war) operations.

NOTE:

• Veteran’s benefits are based on Congressional regulations determined by Honorable Discharge or Under Honorable Conditions status.
• Retirees (either 20+ years service or medical discharge status) are also Veterans. Retirees are usually eligible for supplementary federal benefits, privileges and access on military installations, but not necessarily all VA services (some services are maintained by the former military branch), as regulated by Congress.
• Wartime medals define various levels of individual combat involvement, sacrifice and/or valor.
• (Ret.) or (Retired) may be used by any veteran when stating or publishing his or her rank to indicate they are not on the active list.
  From: http://www.amervets.com/mypride/whatvet.htm

Contact the VA

For a comprehensive listing of Veteran services:
California Network of Care for Veterans, for services by county

My HealtheVet
VA Home page

Resources to meet the unique needs of Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans:

United Services of Irag Afghanistan Veterans (USIAV)
Support Your Vet

For Veterans, Active Military, and Family Member Services: 

Military OneSource is provided by the Department of Defense at no cost to active duty, Guard and Reserve (regardless of activation status) and their families. It is a virtual extension of installation services. Visit Military One Source online today or call 1-800-342-9647.

Support Your Vet - A veteran’s experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan are unimaginable, and returning home isn’t always easy. As a family member or friend of a veteran, you have the power to help, but knowing where to start can be difficult.

Virtual Family Readiness Program (vFRG) – Assists Service and Family Members in maintaining readiness by developing, coordinating, and delivering services which promotes self-reliance, resilience, and stability during war and peace. Provides a wide range of services designed to assist the unit in maintaining a high state of readiness for deployment at any time. The virtual FRG site (vFRG) promotes a community feeling within units by providing a place that is customized to the unit and contains content that is controlled by the unit.