2010 New York Code
GCN - General Construction
Article 2 - (10 - 62) MEANING OF TERMS
13-A - Armed forces of the United States.

§  13-a.  Armed forces of the United States. "Armed forces of the United
  States" means the army, navy, marine corps, air force and  coast  guard,
  including  all  components  thereof,  and the national guard when in the
  service of the United States  pursuant  to  call  as  provided  by  law.
  Pursuant  to  this  definition no person shall be considered a member or
  veteran of the armed forces of the  United  States  unless  his  or  her
  service  therein  is or was on a full-time active duty basis, other than
  active duty for training or he or she was employed by the  War  Shipping
  Administration  or Office of Defense Transportation or their agents as a
  merchant  seaman  documented  by  the  United  States  Coast  Guard   or
  Department  of  Commerce,  or  as a civil servant employed by the United
  States Army Transport Service (later redesignated as the  United  States
  Army  Transportation  Corps, Water Division) or the Naval Transportation
  Service; and who served satisfactorily  as  a  crew  member  during  the
  period  of armed conflict, December seventh, nineteen hundred forty-one,
  to  August  fifteenth,  nineteen  hundred  forty-five,  aboard  merchant
  vessels in oceangoing, i.e., foreign, intercoastal, or coastwise service
  as  such terms are defined under federal law (46 USCA 10301 & 10501) and
  further to include "near foreign" voyages between the United States  and
  Canada,  Mexico,  or the West Indies via ocean routes, or public vessels
  in  oceangoing  service  or  foreign  waters  and  who  has  received  a
  Certificate  of  Release  or  Discharge from Active Duty and a discharge
  certificate, or an Honorable  Service  Certificate/Report  of  Casualty,
  from  the  Department  of Defense or he or she served as a United States
  civilian employed by the American  Field  Service  and  served  overseas
  under United States Armies and United States Army Groups in world war II
  during  the period of armed conflict, December seventh, nineteen hundred
  forty-one through May  eighth,  nineteen  hundred  forty-five,  and  was
  discharged  or  released  therefrom under honorable conditions, or he or
  she served as a United States civilian Flight Crew and  Aviation  Ground
  Support   Employee   of  Pan  American  World  Airways  or  one  of  its
  subsidiaries or its affiliates and served overseas as a  result  of  Pan
  American's  contract  with  Air Transport Command or Naval Air Transport
  Service during  the  period  of  armed  conflict,  December  fourteenth,
  nineteen  hundred  forty-one through August fourteenth, nineteen hundred
  forty-five, and was discharged or  released  therefrom  under  honorable
  conditions.