By CHRIS SNELL, guest columnist

Welcome to May! The Veterans Services Office is devoted to applying the fundamentals of our mission and vision statement to the veterans and their beneficiaries of Brown County.

The Brown County Veterans Service Office mission is to serve the veterans, veterans’ dependents, and veterans’ survivors of Brown County by offering assistance with filing claims for Veterans Affairs federal benefits, obtaining military records, accessing VA services and conducting education and outreach services. Our vision is to foster thankfulness to our veterans and their families.

We have been in the process of working with an Afghanistan veteran for the past two years who was diagnosed with large B-cell diffuse lymphoma at the age of 30. He’s currently 33 years old and we were able to submit his case to the American Legion national headquarters where the legislative team and the National Commander have made contact with him in regard to his case. It will be shared publicly by the American Legion National Commander when he comes to Indiana in May as part of his tour to urge Congress to pass the Honoring Our Pact Act legislation that is currently in process. The Honoring Our Pact Act is legislation that involves the handling of toxic exposure to burn pits for post-9/11 veterans who deployed to certain locations around the world.

Our office urges every veteran to speak with your representatives and encourage them to say ‘yes’ to passing this integral legislation that will help thousands of veterans receive the care and the benefits they, and their families, deserve.

Our office has also been managing several cases of the last year regarding military sexual trauma and PTSD. I have a heavy heart for every single one of them and I know there are many more stories that exist within our county. I am truly humbled by your vulnerability with me and managing the sensitivity of your cases. I also want everyone to know that you are not alone in this. Please contact our office if you would like to begin your journey to healing and file a claim with the VA for benefits. Mental health care is a big part of this picture, and we want to ensure you get the care you deserve from the VA and our local resources.

We have also been collaborating with two awesome Brown County volunteers who want to help capture the stories of our Brown County veterans. In this effort, we are looking for veterans who are willing to not only give us their military story, but their life story. We want to know you personally and capture it on video. If you’re a veteran within Brown County and you would like to be a part of this project, please contact our office at 812- 988-5600 or email me at [email protected].

Want to become a community partner or volunteer with the Brown County Veterans Service Office? Call us at 812-988-5600 or email [email protected] for more information.

If you are a community resource of any type, I would love the opportunity to travel to your location in support of educating veterans and their beneficiaries of their benefits. Presentation requests can be submitted to [email protected].

In the spirit of fostering thankfulness, I want to thank Diane Poff for her volunteerism at the Veteran Services Office. She has played a behind the scenes role that will enable our office to continue processing claims in a more efficient manner.

Upcoming events

Wednesday Walks with your county Veteran Service Officer: every Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. I will walk up and down Deer Run Lane for the hour. Come join me!

May 12: Flag Bundling Party at the Veterans Hall with Sam Banter. The time is to be determined. Email [email protected] for more details.

May 30: Memorial Day event that is sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Brown County Courthouse, 20 E. Main St.

Ways to connect

Office phone: 812-988-5600

Cellphone for call or text: 812-322-9086

Staff email: Chris Snell, Veteran Service Officer, [email protected]

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/bcvso

Twitter: www.twitter.com/BC_VSO

Have a great May!

Chris Snell is the Veterans Service officer for Brown County. He can be reached at 812-988-5600 or [email protected].