Veteran

A veteran (from Latin vetus 'old') is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in an occupation or field.

A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in the armed forces.

A topic of interest for researchers has been the health of military personnel after leaving the military, particularly those who served in combat areas. This concern stems from veterans in countries like the US and Australia, being disproportionately over-represented in psychological and substance abuse disorders relative to the general population. In Australia, the Department of Veterans' Affairs provides a proactive service to address 'real life' health care problems in the veteran community.

Military veterans often receive special treatment in their respective countries. War veterans are generally treated with great respect and honour, although negative feelings towards veterans may be held in certain situations: veterans of unpopular or lost conflicts may be discriminated against. In some countries (e.g., Germany after 1945), veterans are neither honoured in any special way by the general public, nor have their dedicated Veterans Day, although events are sometimes orchestrated by minority groups.

The way veterans are portrayed in the media is likely to contribute to public attitudes. A small scale survey in 2020 indicated several ways in which veterans themselves feel that their representation in the media could be improved, by avoiding certain stereotypes.

Many countries have longstanding traditions, ceremonies, and holidays to honour their veterans. In Commonwealth member states, Remembrance Day is held on November the 11th and is focused mostly on the veterans who died in service. A red or white Poppy is worn on the lapel (for remembrance or for peace, respectively) in the weeks up to the date, and wreaths and flowers laid at memorials to the dead.

In Russia, a tradition was established after World War II where newly married couples would on their wedding day visit a military cemetery. In France, for instance, those wounded in war are given the first claim on any seat on public transit. Most countries have a holiday such as Veterans Day to honour their veterans, along with the war dead.

In Zimbabwe, the term veteran is used for political purpose and may not actually refer to someone that participated in a war, but rather to someone who feels entitled to some benefit because of association with a cause for which there had been an actual war.