Veteran Categories
The correct determination of the category is the legal starting point of veteran benefits and social protection. Georgian legislation establishes the following categories of veterans of war and of the Defence Forces: veterans of the Second World War and persons equated with them; veterans of combat operations on the territory of other states and persons equated with them; veterans of combat operations for the territorial integrity, freedom and independence of Georgia and persons equated with them; and veterans of the Defence Forces.
The category is not a formality: it determines which rights and benefits apply to a particular person and what supporting documentation will be needed to obtain the status. Preparation of a social-protection claim therefore always begins with determining the category.
Note the recurring formula in the law's list: each of the first three categories includes not only the veterans themselves but also persons equated with them. This means that, beyond direct participation in combat operations, the law connects veteran rights with other persons as well, and the assessment of a particular person's status should therefore always begin with the complete formulation of the category. The distinctions between the categories also produce practical consequences: certain measures rest precisely on exceptional merit or on the connection with the Defence Forces.