With Veterans Day this week, we’re betting it never occurred to you to wonder what exactly a veteran is.

Can just anyone claim to be a veteran? Does the government acknowledge everyone who claims to be a veteran, or are there certain conditions? Our oldest veterans today are World War II vets in their 90s. Did you know that, legally, the youngest people who can be considered veterans today are only 17 and a half years old?

Most counties in the United States have Veterans Service Officers. KLGR’s Joshua Dixon spoke with Redwood County’s Veterans Service Officer Dustin Hunter about who is and isn’t considered a veteran by the U.S. government. We also discussed some of the services available for Redwood County’s veterans, before and even after their deaths: