What dose it mean to be a British army veteran I'm 27 I served 2 tours of Iraq and 2 of northern irland I was ?

in the infantry for 6 1/2 years I was blown up in Iraq luckily I was not hurt when I finished my tome in the army I got no thankyou or anything just let out the camp gate and told my time was served I didn't have to retern sinse then now 3 years on I have had not as much as a letter asking how I was getting on . do u think this is right