So, you are finally leaving the military. You’ve got your DD-214 in hand and the only thing that stands between you and your impending freedom is a trip to the battalion admin shop. It’s a magical feeling. If you get really lucky, maybe you’ll catch your platoon leader or company commander on the way out and address them by their first name, leaving them confused as to what just happened. You don’t care about the repercussions because they have no power over you as you drive off post for the final time as a service member. Congratulations. By civilian and legal definition, you are officially a veteran.