Who we serve. No guessing.
The Homefront is a closed board for military, veteran, Guard & Reserve, police, fire, and EMS families. Here’s exactly who’s in, and what you’ll show a human to prove it.
Gold Star & surviving families
Gold Star and surviving families are welcome here, fully and without an asterisk. If your service member gave everything, you are part of this community, post, hire, or put a service teen to work, the same as anyone.
Military
Anyone who wears, or wore, a uniform of the United States.
Who’s in
- ✓All uniformed services: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, and Coast Guard
- ✓USPHS Commissioned Corps and NOAA Commissioned Corps
- ✓Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve, same standing
- ✓Retired service members
Not this class
- ✕ DoD civilians and contractors , not uniformed service
- ✕ ROTC / JROTC cadets , not yet serving
What you’ll show
Veteran
Served and separated, the VA standard.
Who’s in
- ✓Anyone who served in the uniformed services and separated under conditions other than dishonorable
- ✓Retired service members
Not this class
- ✕ Dishonorable discharge , discharge characterization
Discharge characterization: IN⚑ founder ruling
We use the VA standard: any characterization OTHER THAN dishonorable qualifies, honorable, general, and other-than-honorable all count. Dishonorable does not.
What you’ll show
Law enforcement
Sworn law enforcement, a badge and arrest authority.
Who’s in
- ✓Sworn officers: municipal police, sheriff’s deputies, state police, and federal agents
- ✓Retired sworn officers
Not this class
- ✕ Private security , not sworn
- ✕ Loss prevention / store security , not sworn
Corrections officers: IN⚑ founder ruling
Sworn corrections officers are law enforcement.
Sworn campus or hospital police: IN⚑ founder ruling
If they are sworn with arrest authority, they are in, the employer doesn’t change that.
What you’ll show
Fire
Firefighters, career AND volunteer, and we mean it.
Who’s in
- ✓Career firefighters
- ✓Volunteer firefighters, Virginia’s volunteer companies ARE this community, not an afterthought
- ✓Wildland and federal firefighters
- ✓Retired firefighters
Not this class
- ✕ Fire-department civilian / administrative staff , not a firefighter
What you’ll show
EMS
Certified EMTs and paramedics.
Who’s in
- ✓Certified EMTs and paramedics, municipal services, volunteer rescue squads, and private ambulance
- ✓Retired EMS
Not this class
- ✕ First-aid / CPR certified but not a state-certified EMT , not certified
Private ambulance crews: IN⚑ founder ruling
A certified EMT is a certified EMT, a private employer doesn’t change the certification.
What you’ll show
Family
The member’s own household, spouse and dependents.
Who’s in
- ✓Spouse of any included member
- ✓Dependents (children) of any included member
- ✓Surviving spouses
- ✓Gold Star children
Not this class
- ✕ Parents of a member , outside the household
- ✕ Siblings of a member , outside the household
- ✕ Extended family , outside the household
What you’ll show
Family: the household rule
Family means the member’s own household: their spouse and dependents. Surviving spouses and Gold Star children are in. Parents, siblings, and extended family are not, the line is the household.
Under consideration
Not a no, a not-yet. Think we’re wrong? Tell us: hello@thewatch.example.
Nurses & healthcare workers
A real question, a lot of service families are also healthcare families. Parked pending a founder decision; eligibility never narrows once public, so it’s a one-way door.
911 dispatchers
The calm voice on the worst day. Strong case for inclusion; parked pending a founder decision.
Not eligible (for now)
What you’ll show, and yes, we delete it
A human looks at what you show, records that you passed, and deletes the file. We keep the verdict, never the document.
Never upload a photo of a government ID card: your military ID (CAC), dependent ID, retiree ID, VA health card, or any federal agency badge or credential (federal law enforcement included). It’s against federal law (18 U.S.C. § 701) and we don’t need it. Use your DD-214, a non-federal department ID, or a certification instead. Federal agents verify with ID.me.
Redact your Social Security number before you upload, black it out. We only need to see your service and character of discharge.