News : Veteran's Affair under new leadership in Benton County

One of the state-mandated departments funded by Benton County is the Benton County Veterans Affairs Department. This office serves veterans of every age. It doesn't matter if you're young, middle-aged, retired, or years past retirement, you really should stop and talk with Courtney Long.

You might recognize Courtney from seeing her in the Auditor's Office over the last four and a half years. She worked specifically in filing real estate, creating new descriptions for land, and assisting with the elections. She is now the Director for the Benton County Veteran's Affairs local office here in Vinton.

Courtney served on the VA Commission Board in the county as well. When she heard that there would be an opening, she quickly applied. Following Cara Martin, she will be continuing the great service provided to area veterans.

The VA is one of those departments that she hopes every veteran will register with. Even if you aren't having any medical issues, or if you don't have a need at this time, registering now will benefit you later. One thing that Long explained is that if veterans will get all of their information into the department now, helps veterans to be able to more quickly access benefits later. It's easier to update information rather than to start from scratch. She recommends calling to set up a time to meet with her and trust me, you'll enjoy visiting with her.

Part of the joys of this job is the opportunity to listen to veterans. Between the working part of her job, the filling out of forms and asking questions, she has the privilege of hearing the stories of these veterans. Sometimes she learns things that make her chuckle. She's compared notes about C-rations and MREs. She's learned that you can use C4 to heat a meal and a fire extinguisher to cool the beers. Sometimes she is trusted with the heartbreaking tales that haunt our veterans as well, and those are the stories that she feels honored to have been trusted with.

The government doesn't have a program designed to automatically connect veterans with the VA. There are benefits out there that some may qualify for. Part of the struggle for Courtney is to locate all of the veterans in Benton County. If you have a veteran in your family, encourage them to schedule a visit with the local office.

The PACT ACT recognizes more conditions that qualify veterans for assistance. Certain struggles that you thought were just part of life, may have been caused by your service. Things like PTSD, breathing issues, skin conditions, high blood pressure, diabetes and more are all conditions that could be a result of your service. Talk with Courtney so that she can collect your service history and she will of course be more than happy to see where she can help.

Courtney is also in desperate need of volunteers to drive the VA van. Benton County is very lucky to be provided with a van free of charge. It is used to transport our veterans to and from appointments, at no cost to the veteran. However, unless it's used, it could be taken away. Please, if you can be a volunteer driver to assist our veterans, contact the Benton County Veterans Affairs office at 319.472.3150 or email va@bentoncountyia.gov.

Drivers will need to pass a background check as well as a health screening.

She will also concentrate more time on the Veteran of the Month program, recognizing area veterans for their dedication and service to the country. If you are a veteran, or know a veteran, nominate them using the form below. Most veterans aren't ones to brag about themselves or their service, but their stories are important.

Other plans that she hopes to carry out include a Veteran's Appreciation Breakfast. She's just in the early stages of getting this together, but she is looking at the first Saturday of June. Stay tuned.

Courtney and her family live in the southern part of the county in Blairstown. She will be working to expand in that direction a bit more. She hopes to be able to spend some time in Belle Plaine reaching out to veterans there. She will also be speaking at the Belle Plaine Legion on Memorial Day ceremony.

ALL veterans are encouraged to stop by her office at the Benton County Service Center located at 811 D Ave. in Vinton. Her office is right inside the front door, and there is a special parking spot near the building for your convenience. Call her at 319.472.3150 to set up a time.

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To nominate a veteran see the form below.