What is a Protected Veteran?

After honorably serving your country in the military, transitioning back to the civilian workforce poses substantial challenges for many veterans. One of the biggest hurdles is finding and retaining suitable employment.

• Protected veteran status helps prevent workplace discrimination, ensuring equal job opportunities and benefits like preferential hiring and training.
• Eligibility for protected veteran status includes disabled, recently separated, active duty wartime, or service medal veterans with honorable discharge.
• Protected veterans have legal protection against employment discrimination, but can be legally fired for non-service-related reasons

To ease this burden, the government extends critical legal protections to certain veterans by designating them “protected veterans,” a status that shields former service members from workplace discrimination. Employers must not discriminate against these veterans during any employment phase because of their prior military service. They also may be entitled to preferential hiring and training opportunities.

If you qualify, you are entitled to equal and fair treatment during the hiring process and employment. You also are protected from discriminatory workplace policies. Additionally, you may have access to preferential hiring consideration and job training programs because of your veteran status. With this special distinction, you can understand and fully utilize your rights as you navigate the difficulties of transitioning out of the military.

How To Know if You Are a Protected Veteran

The term “protected veteran” covers veterans who qualify under one or more of four specific statuses:

• Disabled veterans
• Recently separated veterans
• Active duty wartime veterans
• Armed Forces service medal veterans

You must have been discharged under honorable conditions to be designated a protected veteran. An other-than-honorable discharge would disqualify you from coverage.

Disabled Veterans

To qualify as a disabled veteran, you must either:

• Be entitled to VA disability compensation for a service-connected condition. This designation means having a VA disability rating of at least 10 percent.
• Have received a discharge due to a disability incurred or aggravated during military service.

Recently Separated Veterans

You qualify as a recently separated veteran if you were discharged from active duty within the past three years. The nature of the discharge does not matter as long as it is honorable.

Active Duty Wartime Veterans

You qualify as an active duty wartime veteran if you served on active duty during one of the recognized wartime periods , including:

• World War II: December 7, 1941 to December 31, 1946
• Korean War: June 27, 1950 to January 31, 1955
• Vietnam War:
  • For veterans who served in Vietnam: February 28, 1961, to May 7, 1975
  • For veterans who did not serve in Vietnam: August 5, 1964, to May 7, 1975

  Armed Forces Service Medal Veterans

  You qualify as an Armed Forces service medal veteran if you earned certain awards for participation in U.S. military operations. Refer to your DD-214 to confirm which medals you received. Some examples include:

  • Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
  • Navy Expeditionary Medal
  • Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal
  • Afghanistan Campaign Medal
  • Iraq Campaign Medal

  Review your service history and discharge paperwork to determine if you fall into one of the four protected veteran categories.

  Difference Between Veteran and Protected Veteran

  There can be some confusion between the terms “veteran” and “protected veteran.”

  The term “veteran” broadly applies to anyone who served in active naval, air, or military service and was discharged under conditions other than dishonorab

  The term “protected veteran” is more specific and covers the subgroups of veterans who qualify for legal protection from employment discrimination under the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act, or VEVRAA.

  All protected veterans are veterans, but not all veterans are protected. The protected designation has additional eligibility criteria for disability status, recent separation, wartime service, and awarded medals.

  Protections from discrimination apply only to veterans who meet the VEVRAA criteria for protected status. However, all honorably discharged veterans have access to general veterans benefits.