Retired Military:
State retirement officials now say they believe serving in the Iraq war does qualify for veteran status. That is based on an interpretation from the Department of Veterans Affairs, which concluded the war qualifies under the 1990-91 Persian Gulf War because that conflict was never ended by presidential proclamation. … “The current Iraq conflict is not included in the covered military operations for which one may be classified as a ‘veteran’ per statute,” the department’s legal brief said. “That’s about the most shocking thing I’ve ever seen in black and white print,” said Joan Mell, Pierce’s attorney. “I can’t believe they would take that kind of technical approach.”