Stearns County Veteran Services in Waite Park has four Veterans Service Officers who help with VA health care, compensation, pension and burial claims, State financial assistance, DD-214s and preference letters, with walk-in hours Monday to Thursday and monthly outreach at the Melrose and Paynesville American Legions; 320-656-6176.
Also called: county veterans service officer, CVSO, veterans service office, St. Cloud, Waite Park, Melrose, Paynesville, claims help, DD-214, Cory Vaske, 197.60.
For: Veteran or service member, spouse, child, survivor.
Stearns County Veteran Services is the county veterans service office every Minnesota county must have under section 197.60; see the Minnesota entry on county veterans service officers.
What it does. "Stearns County Veteran Services has 4 Veteran Services Officers (VSOs) to be your advocate for veteran related issues and assists you through the process of applying for federal, state, and county veteran benefits. Our office helps service members, veterans, and their dependents to navigate the Veterans Administration benefits system with applying for VA healthcare, filing claims, such as compensation, pension, or burial benefits. We can also help with applying for financial assistance (state grants), obtaining DD214/discharge papers, provide veteran resources/organizations, and more."
Its benefits page adds grave marker requests, the State Soldiers Assistance Program (dental, optical, special needs and subsistence help) during walk-in hours, Minnesota and federal veterans preference letters, the VA home loan certificate and the disabled veteran homestead exclusion. A widowed spouse is asked to make an appointment to go over burial and spousal benefits.
When and where. Director Cory Vaske; 320-656-6176; the Waite Park office is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, with walk-in hours Monday to Thursday, 8 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m., and none on Friday. Documents can go in the "Veteran Services" drop box at the Stearns County Service Center in Waite Park. Outreach without an appointment runs at the Melrose American Legion, 265 County Road 173, on the first Tuesday, and the Paynesville American Legion, 770 Diekmann Drive, on the third Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; the county's Melrose office is closed.
Thresholds
Thresholds for Stearns County Veteran Services
Gate
Rule
Veterans, dependents and survivors
Service members, veterans and their dependents in Stearns County. No rating is needed.
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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.