Army - 6th Cavalry Brigade Veteran - MugA veteran (from Latin vetus, meaning "old") is a person who had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who has served and is no longer serving in a military. Military veterans that have served directly in combat in a war are further defined as war veterans (although not all military conflicts, or areas in which armed combat took place, are necessarily referred to as wars).