Title 38 of the Code of Federal Regulations defines a veteran as “a person who served in the active military, navy, or air service and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable.”
In general, active service means full-time service, other than active duty for training, as a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard; as a commissioned officer of the Public Health Service; or as a commissioned officer of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or its predecessors.