That is understood and only you know it for yourself. That said, all of us signed a contract to let them do what they would with us up to an including getting us killed. And there are a bunch of ways to get killed in the military in and out of combat zones. Thanks for your service too.
100% true - and when you signed your name on the dotted line, you were in essence offering your life for your country, same as us. You are without question, a veteran.
My point was only that combat service amplified the risks and made it certain that if you did survive, everything from here on would be different than before.