NO USE TRYING TO PIGEONHOLE VETERANS.

• Position: YOUR LIFE

There are roughly 18,500,000 veterans in the country, according to the Census Bureau, but do you really know what a veteran is? "Veterans are made up of a diverse group of servicemen and women, representing every aspect of this country," explains Nicole Motsek, executive director of the EOD [Explosive Ordnance Disposal] Warrior Foundation, Niceville, Fla.

The statistics show that 1,600,000 veterans are women, almost 12% are African-American, and just over six percent are Hispanic. Some 9,200,000 are over the age of 65, while 1,600,000 are under 35.

Additional facts from the Department of Veterans Affairs include:

* Religion. About 4,800,000 are Catholic; 120,000, Buddhist; 62,000, Muslim; 41,000, Shinto; and 16,000, Hindu--and many others fall into the category of Lutheran, Mormon, Sikh, Jewish, etc.

* Careers. Female veterans are more likely to have completed some college compared to nonveteran females. They also are seven percent more likely to be working in management and professional occupations, and twice as likely to be working for state, local, or Federal government.

* Wages. Compared to nonveterans of the same age, veterans who work full time have higher earnings.

* Disabilities. American-Indian and Alaska-Native veterans are more likely to have a service-connected disability than veterans of other...