Who is a Veteran

Generally, anyone who has served in the Armed Forces of the United States and is no longer serving is a veteran. You do not have to have served in combat to be considered a veteran. The benefits available to veterans depend upon many factors such as time period in service, length of time in service, type of discharge, disabilities incurred in service, etc.

Federal Wartime Periods

  • World War II: December 7, 1941, through December 31, 1946
  • Korea: June 27, 1950, through January 31, 1955
  • Vietnam: (In-country) - February 28, 1961, through May 7, 1975
  • (All Other): August 5, 1964, through May 7, 1975
  • Persian Gulf: August 2, 1990, through not yet designated

New York Wartime Periods

  • World War II: December 7, 1941, through December 31, 1946
  • Korea: June 27, 1950, through January 31, 1955
  • Vietnam: (All) December 22, 1961, through May 7, 1975
  • Persian Gulf: August 2, 1990, through not yet designated

Approximately 30,000 people living in or near Chemung County are either directly or indirectly entitled to benefits and assistance from our office. We provided 13,447 distinct types of service to veterans, service personnel, and dependents in 2013. Chemung County residents received over $3.5 million in benefits in 2013 as a result of counseling activities provided by the Veteran's Affairs office.

Veteran Population

Chemung County's veteran population as of January 2013 was about 8,020 which includes:

  • World War II: 481
  • Korea: 723
  • Vietnam: 2,566
  • Global War on Terror: 2,807
  • Peacetime: 1,443

All veterans serving since August 2, 1990, are classified as "Global War on Terror" (GWOT) veterans. GWOT veterans include those fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere around the world.