Returning from Kuwait and Iraq, Set up an Appointment

By: Dan Meyer

The office hours for the Big Stone County Veterans Service Office are 7:30 am – 4:00 pm Monday through Friday. My office phone number is (320) 839-6398.

If you are a veteran with the Minnesota Army National Guard and recently returned from deployment to Kuwait and Iraq, you need to contact my office and set up an appointment. This especially pertains to those veterans who received injuries during their active duty deployment.

As part of your out-processing at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, those injuries were noted/documented with one of the Minnesota County Veterans Service Officers. We need to schedule an appointment to begin the claims process with respect to those injuries as service-connected disabilities with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

August is going to be a busy month for the office.

I will be conducting two outreach VA Benefits Booths during the month of August. The first is scheduled for the Big Stone County Fair that will be held from 4 - 8 August in Clinton, Minnesota. The second VA Benefits Booth will be at the 72^nd Annual Cornfest Celebration. The Cornfest will be held from 20 - 22 August at the Lakeside Park in Ortonville, Minnesota.

As in the past, there will be a parade on Sunday August 22^nd during the Cornfest. Why do a mention this parade? Because I will be having a veterans float in the parade. Before the parade begins, a group of local children will be helping me hand out U.S. Flags to those in attendance. During the parade, the kids and I will be walking with the float to honor all our veterans. Help us honor our veterans by attending the parade.

In the “Did you Know?” segment. Did you know in next week’s article I will be providing our readers with some statistics and the services provided by the Big Stone County Veterans Service Office. Stay tuned for this information. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Until next week, take care and “Fair Winds and Following Seas!”