Bartholomew County (Indiana) Veteran Services Office

Indiana counties employ veterans service officers under Indiana Code 10-17; see the Indiana entries. Bartholomew County's Veteran Services page names Veteran Service Officer Jim Stevens, Assistant Veteran Service Officer Larry Garrity and Veteran Services Receptionist Angel Walker, and states the office's mission: to honor and support the men and women who served and their families "by providing comprehensive, compassionate services", with advocacy, resource connection and guidance so that every veteran and their loved ones have access to the benefits and support they have earned. The page's staff list carried Dillon Miller as Veteran Services Officer through the summer of 2026; the Commissioners' minutes introduce Stevens as the county's new officer on September 21, 2026, after Garrity prepared the July 2026 monthly report - ask the office who holds the desk. Where and when. Office hours Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., public hours 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; call 812-379-1540 to schedule an appointment with a VSO or a ride (the office's transportation has its own entry). The county's local posts: American Legion Post 24, 2515 25th St., Columbus (812-376-7036); AMVETS Post 509 and VFW Post 1987, 215 N. National Rd., Columbus (812-371-8939 and 812-379-2791). What the office does. The monthly reports the Commissioners approve count the work: 1,162 forms filled out for veterans in May 2026 and 2,038 in August 2026, besides incoming calls, trips to the VA hospital and burial appropriations (their amounts are in image-scan tables the read could not price). Senate Bill 433 of 2026, described to the Commissioners by IDVA's Ron Higgins on March 30, 2026, sets State accreditation standards for county VSOs, lets counties share an officer, and protects veterans from eviction while applying for housing assistance; the office also renews the State-provided Vetraspec software, which tracks claims.