Otter Tail County Veterans Service

The county's office: "Veterans Service assists and advocates for our Military Veterans, their dependents, and survivors. They help our veterans access the earned benefits they are eligible for. Please contact the Veterans Service office to discuss your needs and schedule an appointment." Where and who. The South Court Building, 505 South Court Street, Fergus Falls, MN 56537, 218-998-8605; and 118 North Main Avenue, New York Mills, MN 56567, 218-385-5540. Veterans Service Officer Robb Emerson; Assistant Veterans Service Officer Sergeant Major (ret.) James "Jim" Bakkila, who works out of the New York Mills office "to reach veterans in rural areas". The department page carries the federal and State definitions of a veteran and the Guard and Reserve rules, and points to Minnesota Statute 197.447 for further reference; every Minnesota county board appoints its service officer under 197.60 (see the Minnesota entry on county veterans service officers). What the office does, from the county's October 6, 2026 profile of its assistant officer: Bakkila "helps veterans file claims for disability pay and VA health care. He also helps with state benefits, such as the Homestead Tax Exclusion and state grants. ... He uses his own combat experience to help veterans with claims for post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. He also helps with claims under the PACT Act, a 2022 law that expands benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances. He often helps veterans win claims that were denied before." He "uses the Veteran's Relief Grant to help keep families in their homes and keep their utilities on. He helps older veterans get rides to medical visits. He also guides surviving spouses through burial honors and survivor benefits." The office's resources list names the Warrior Bonfire Program and Project New Hope among its partners. State money. On July 14, 2026 the Board authorized county signatures "on a grant agreement with the Minnesota Department of Veteran Affairs to enhance services offered to veterans and support the operations of the county veterans service office" (moved on the County Veterans Service Officer's timed item, motion by Johnson, second by Sullivan, carried). The Board's agenda of October 13, 2026 carried a "Recognition of Jim Bakkila" under the service officer's name, after his October 4, 2026 induction into the Minnesota Army National Guard Court of Honor; the office keeps the State's Veteran's Relief Grant for housing and utility emergencies, which the county page does not otherwise describe.