Veteran

a.	1.	Long exercised in anything, especially in military life and the duties of a soldier; long practiced or experienced; as, a veteran officer or soldier; veteran skill. The insinuating eloquence and delicate flattery of veteran diplomatists and courtiers. - Macaulay.
n.	1.	One who has been long exercised in any service or art, particularly in war; one who has had much experience, or has grown old or decrepit in service. Ensigns that pierced the foe's remotest lines, The hardy veteran with tears resigns. - Addison.

Noun	1.	veteran - a serviceman who has seen considerable active service; "the veterans laughed at the new recruits" Synonyms: veteran soldier
	2.	veteran - a person who has served in the armed forces Synonyms: ex-serviceman, vet
	3.	veteran - an experienced person who has been through many battles; someone who has given long service Synonyms: old hand, old stager, old-timer, oldtimer, stager, warhorse
Adj.	1.	veteran - rendered competent through trial and experience; "troops seasoned in combat"; "a seasoned traveler"; "veteran steadiness"; "a veteran officer" Synonyms: seasoned

Father Time, Methuselah, Nestor, Old Paar, blase, campaigner, centenarian, cosmopolitan, cosmopolite, dotard, elder, experienced, expert, gaffer, geezer, golden-ager, gramps, grandfather, grandsire, graybeard, knowing, master, mature, matured, nonagenarian, not born yesterday, octogenarian, old, old campaigner, old chap, old codger, old dog, old duffer, old geezer, old gent, old gentleman, old hand, old man, old party, old pro, old salt, old sea dog, old soldier, old-time, old-timer, older, oldster, pantaloon, past master, patriarch, practical, practiced, presbyter, ripe, ripened, sagacious, salt, seasoned, seasoned veteran, senior citizen, septuagenarian, sexagenarian, shellback, skilled, sophisticated, the quiet-voiced elders, tried, tried and true, trouper, venerable sir, versed, vet, war-horse, warhorse, wise, world-wise, worldly, worldly-wise