Military veterans are all those who served, even if they served very recently in modern wars. Throw out the stereotypes about aging veterans from World War II. While many vets do fall into these older age groups, it’s problematic that they are what people think of first in many cases, ignoring the realities of young veterans.
For instance, in 2019, here is the breakdown of veterans by age:
- Under 20 years old: 8,157
- 20 to 24 years old: 254,258
- 25 to 29 years old: 670,058
- 30 to 34 years old: 933,598
- 35 to 39 years old: 1,055,447
- 40 to 44 years old: 1,004,755
- 45 to 49 years old: 1,189,750
- 50 to 54 years old: 1,457,440
- 55 to 59 years old: 1,712,347
- 60 to 64 years old: 1,867,136
- 65 to 69 years old: 1,868,263
- 70 to 74 years old: 2,703,684
- 75 to 79 years old: 1,701,867
- 80 to 84 years old: 1,187,331
- 85 years old and older: 1,595,611
As you can see, while there are many veterans in their 70s and 80s, there are millions of veterans who have not even hit the traditional retirement age yet. What this means is that those living with physical or mental injuries and disabilities as a result of their service could have decades to deal with these issues. They may need extensive medical care and everyday assistance. This is not something confined to those nearing the end of their lives.
It is very important, then, for all veterans who have been wounded while serving to know exactly what steps they can take and what legal rights they have.
