Much like the Veterans Administration, EA has decided that they need to “take care of” their loyal Battlefield fanbase. The result: The Battlefield Veterans Program where;

As a Battlefield 2 player you have qualified for Veteran status in Battlefield 2142. This entitles you to reserve your Battlefield 2 soldier name before Battlefield 2142 hits the shelves, making that name unavailable for anyone else to take. You can claim only one soldier name for Battlefield 2142, no matter how many soldier names you have tied to your EA account. You can also choose any new name not already in use for Battlefield 2.

I would give you more information, but I cant get into the website to find out. The info that we do have is courtesy of PlanetBattlefield

Try here for more info: Battlefield Veterans Program