(1) The Director of Veterans' Affairs, the deputy director, all members of the Veterans' Advisory Commission, and all state service officers shall have served in the armed forces of the United States during the dates set forth in section 80-401.01 and shall have been discharged or otherwise separated with a characterization of honorable from such service. A state service officer shall have been a bona fide resident of the State of Nebraska continuously for at least one year immediately prior to assuming his or her position.

(2) All county veterans service officers shall have served on active duty in the armed forces of the United States, other than active duty for training, shall have been discharged or otherwise separated with a characterization of honorable from the service, and shall have been bona fide residents of the State of Nebraska continuously for at least one year immediately prior to assuming any such position, except that if there is no applicant for county veterans service officer in a county who will have been a bona fide resident of the State of Nebraska continuously for at least one year prior to assuming such position, the one-year residency requirement may be waived.

(3) All members of the county veterans service committees and all personnel, except certain special and clerical help, of the county veterans service offices shall have all of the qualifications described in subsection (2) of this section, except that such persons may have been discharged or otherwise separated with a characterization of general (under honorable conditions).