Fentress County beginning its search for a new veterans service officer after current officer Jeff Tinch announced his plans to retire.
Tinch said the county will be accepting resumes from now until the first week of March. Tinch said a veterans service officer helps Fentress County veterans and their families file healthcare claims so they can receive the benefits they deserve.
“Everybody knows that a bureaucracy is arduous,” Tinch said. “It’s all paperwork and veterans basically, they get really aggravated and they get kind of stumped on the paperwork and everything else. The veterans service officer what we do is become the channel for them.”
Tinch said a veterans service officer also can help track the status of a claim with Veterans Affairs. Tinch said one of the big requirements for a candidate is that they have to have served in the military.
“We deal with all services whether it’s air force, navy, marines. coast guard, whatever service they have been in we deal with them,” Tinch said. “But you have to be open and be able to communicate and talk to people. You have to be able to talk to people from the ages of 18 to 84 to 90-years-old.”
Tinch said a candidate must be able to work with computers and technology. Tinch said a veterans service officer also has to learn how to read medical records even though they may not be a doctor.
“Some veterans don’t even know what they might be service connected for,” Tinch said. “So you have to be able to go in and research and look at things and take time with the veterans and take time with their claim to get a good solid claim to get the benefits the veterans have earned.”
Tinch said the county commission will be the one ultimately make the hire for the new veterans service officer. Tinch said he will participate in interviewing candidates but would not be a part of the final decision for a hire. Tinch said interviews will be conducted in mid-March and he hopes to get a new veterans service officer in full motion before the month of May.
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