If you’re not familiar with the military or its terms, you may think that a veteran and retired military veteran are the same thing. The layman's definition of a veteran means to do something for a long time; however, for the armed forces, these two things mean different things.
This can be a little confusing at first, but the simple answer is: anyone who’s served any length of time in the military counts as a veteran. People who have spent twenty or more years in the armed forces or ended their service because of a physical disability count as military retirees
All people retired from the military are veterans, but not all veterans are military retirees.
Let’s talk more about the differences:
It may seem trivial, but knowing the difference between a veteran and a military retiree is important. All veterans should be acknowledged for their service, especially those who have served twenty years or more and those permanently disabled while serving the country.