McMinn County's Veterans Services, Courthouse Annex, 5 East Madison Avenue, Athens (423-744-1605, fax 423-744-1644), helps McMinn County veterans obtain benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Director and Veterans Service Officer Justin Weir, with VSO and administrative assistant Monica Belcher.
Also called: veterans service office, VSO, CVSO, claims, compensation, pension, Justin Weir, Monica Belcher, Courthouse Annex, 5 East Madison Avenue, 423-744-1605, Athens, Athens, Etowah, Englewood, Niota, Riceville, Calhoun.
For: Veteran or service member, spouse, child, survivor.
Tennessee counties employ veterans service officers under Tennessee Code 58-3-109; see the Tennessee entries. McMinn County's Veteran Services page: "The McMinn County Veterans Office assists McMinn County veterans in obtaining benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 'VA' for short. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offer a wide range of benefits to our Nation's veterans, service members and families."
Where and who. Courthouse Annex, 5 East Madison Avenue, Athens, TN 37303; 423-744-1605, fax 423-744-1644. Director and Veterans Service Officer Justin Weir, with Monica Belcher, VSO and administrative assistant. The page also lists the VA toll-free routes a veteran can use directly: benefits information and assistance at 800-827-1000, VA life insurance 1-800-669-8477, CHAMPVA 1-800-733-8387, Persian Gulf-era questions 1-800-749-8387 and headstone claims status 1-800-697-6947.
The county funds the office from its own budget: the FY 2026-2027 budget the Commission adopted carries Veterans' Services at $135,026 (June 15, 2026 minutes), and the October 20, 2025 minutes budgeted $4,950 more across the office's three lines - supervisor/director $1,877, other salaries and wages $2,475, part-time personnel $598 - "to provide additional compensation for enhanced Veterans' Service Officer Certification."
The county's board year also carries its veteran memorials. Resolution 26-056 of August 17, 2026 gave the McMinn County Living Heritage Museum $8,000 of tourism money for a Battle of Athens documentary, "to honor the McMinn County veterans' courage to restore honest elections and accountable government"; Resolution 26-065 of September 21, 2026 gave the Patriot Memorial Project $20,000 to complete its mural "that will honor the memory of the county's WWII veterans" on the Athens courthouse square; and Resolution 26-003 of January 19, 2026 applied the State's $20,000 America 250th grant for an American Revolution monument on the courthouse grounds, the county noting it "is the final resting place of nearly twenty American Revolution veterans."
Thresholds
Thresholds for McMinn County (Tennessee) Veterans Services
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McMinn County veterans and their families
Free claims help; no rating or discharge condition is published.
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Disclaimer
VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.