[sa46]

> Veterans is just another word for retired military personnel.

A sergeant who leaves after a three-year enlistment is a veteran, but not a retiree.

The distinction matters because military retirees retain some privileges from their service, most importantly, a pension. Those privileges mean retirees fall under the emoluments clause.

However, a veteran not receiving retired pay is not subject to the emoluments clause as they have no relationship with the federal government. The Congressional Research Service states:

> Former servicemembers with no military status and not entitled to military retired pay can perform [foreign military service] on the same basis as a U.S. national who never served in the armed services. [1]

Interestingly, this implies a retiree could forfeit their retired pay to avoid being subject to the emoluments clause.

[1]: https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF12068