On March 26, 2026, The Post 9-11 Vet and Newsweek published articles concerning an Ohio veteran, Tom Cookson, who petitioned Congress to expand eligibility for pension benefits.
Under current federal law, veterans are classified as either “wartime” or “peacetime” veterans. The key legal definition is that Congress must issue a formal declaration of war for veterans to be considered “wartime.”
Navy veteran Cookson’s petition is based on the federal law, which defines “wartime service,” which is a distinction that determines eligibility for many Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits, including the non-service-connected disability pension.
The distinction between “wartime service” and “peacetime service” carries major financial consequences. For example, the non-service-connected disability pension provides monthly payments to qualifying low-income veterans who are age 65 or older or permanently disabled.
“Peacetime veterans” are denied access to VA pensions, and according to Cookson, their surviving spouses can not receive state-level benefits available to veterans, who are classified as “wartime veterans.”
Congress had designated “wartime service” as August 5, 1964, to May 7, 1975 (Vietnam War) and Persian Gulf War from August 2, 1990, to a date to be set by either law or presidential proclamation. All other service periods are classified by Congress as “peacetime service.”
Many veterans were deployed to Panama, Lebanon, Grenda and the Persian Gulf throughout the 1980s. Some were awarded Expeditionary Campaign Medals for hazardous duty – yet they are classified as “peacetime veterans.”
For example, on October 23, 1983, a suicide bomber drove an explosive truck into a Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, killing 241 U.S. service members. Although this was the deadliest single-day loss for the Marine Corps since 1945, it does not classify as a wartime situation, according to Cookson.
Veterans qualify for “wartime status if they served for ninety (90) consecutive days and one (1) day falls within the recognized “wartime period.”
They are eligible for pension benefits if most of their military service occurred during “peacetime.” But veterans who do not meet that requirement are excluded, regardless of financial hardship or disability status.
Cookson pointed out that the technicians who maintain the B-2 bombers located stateside that will never see combat are classified as “wartime veterans.” However, “there were Marines (in 1983) who were taking sniper fire, artillery fire, RPG fire in Beirut that are considered peacetime veterans,” Cookson stated.
The petitioner believes the current system unfairly penalizes veterans based on technical legal definitions rather than the realities of their service.
He wants lawmakers to recognize that service during sustained military conflicts should not be treated as peacetime simply because Congress did not issue a formal declaration of war.
“There are veterans that are denied those benefits that need those benefits, and that’s really what the focus should remain on, those other veterans,” Cookson concluded. “They deserve it.”
My Opinion: Cookson’s effort remains a petition to Congress, rather than as a formal legislative bill. In order to change the VA pension eligibility, it would require Congressional Legislative action to amend existing federal statutes governing wartime service definitions.
If the effort is adopted by Congress, peacetime veterans would receive a significant boost to the benefits they currently receive and provide some additional relief for their families.
The passage of the Social Security Fairness Act is a prime example of a petition to Congress that developed into successfully passed legislation.
However, no matter how righteous this petition is for veterans, there are always Congressional members, like Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who oppose them because of the financial implications of extending benefits to more veterans.
These opponents claim that expanding eligibility could increase the number of qualified veterans significantly, placing additional strain on VA resources already managing healthcare, disability compensation, and pension programs.
Senator Johnson is the Senator who is blocking the voting on the Major Richard Star Act, which would provide earned benefits for over 50,000 combat-disabled veterans.
I firmly believe that the Cookson’s petition would redefine what qualifies as “wartime” service, and it could reshape access to VA benefits for current and future generations of veterans.
With fewer formally declared wars and more continuous overseas engagements, the traditional boundaries of “wartime service” have become increasingly “blurred.”
Several legal experts point out that the interpretation of “wartime” has always been tied to congressional designation, making any change both politically sensitive and procedurally complex.
Tom Cookson did not file the petition for himself, but for other “peacetime veterans.” His motive is “pure,” and Congress should act for these veterans.
John Plahovinsak is a 32-year retired Army veteran who served from 1967 to 1999. He is the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Department of Ohio’s Hospital Chairman and Adjutant of Chapter #63 (Clermont County). He can be contacted at: plahovinsak@msn.com.
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