Wichita County’s No Veteran Left Behind initiative has taken Veteran Service Officer (VSO) Tina Jones to the places one would naturally expect: service agencies and health-related facilities tasked with assisting veterans. However, the overwhelming success of the award-winning program is due to the long and sometimes winding roads Jones has traveled to connect each individual veteran with the best possible outcome.
Take, for instance, the day an older gentleman came to Jones because he had lost his bank card. After visiting, Jones learned the veteran was homeless, and she went full-speed ahead.
“I dug and dug and finally found a contact in Amarillo who could offer him HUD housing,” Jones recalled. “Then I asked, ‘If I can get him on a bus, can someone be there to pick him up?’ ”
Working with Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Chapter 41 in Wichita County, Jones was able to create a plan to take the gentleman to his new home.
Next, she had to find him.
Jones went to an area of town where she knew homeless gathered and asked around until she found her veteran.
“He got right into my pickup with me,” Jones recollected. She took him to the DAV who put him on a bus bound for Amarillo where housing was waiting.
Another request found Jones in a museum looking for the name of a major from Vietnam who, if found, could write a letter that could possibly help connect a veteran to a needed service.
“There are those who have never had any help, ” Jones stated. Some have met dead ends in previous attempts, and others have been too intimidated or overwhelmed with paperwork and bureaucracy and quit midstream.
Referrals come every which way, through official channels and casual encounters. Most every trooper in the area carries one of Jones’ cards to distribute when needed. The Wichita County office, normally staffed with two VSOs, has received as many as a dozen personal inquiries in one day.
While not every veteran qualifies for services, Jones goes the extra mile and then some to exhaust every possibility, with some veterans moving from zero benefits to 100 percent including back pay.
“Some fall to their knees in tears when they realize help is coming,” Jones shared.
You Have To Love The Job
Jones served as a police officer for 10 years and as a field boss at a penitentiary. She left outside employment for a while to help care for her grandson, who was born blind. When a family member told her about an opening at the courthouse, she decided to apply. Now five years later, Jones is more convinced than ever that those in her position must have a heart for service.
The county’s description of the Veteran Service Office (see box at right) includes the following: “We don’t just file claims; we love and care about our veterans from sharing war stories to obtaining benefits and analyzing exactly what your needs may be.”
Jones quickly echoed that sentiment.
“You have to want to come to work,” Jones emphasized. “You have to want to love these people. You have to want to help!
“You don’t have to be a veteran,” she continued, “and you don’t have to be great on a computer.” While Jones’ father was a veteran of the Korean War – who never had any benefits – Jones is not a veteran.
The job responsibilities with regard to forms and reports can be learned, she reiterated. However, the approach needs to come from the heart.
Steady Support
“Of all the offices across Wichita County that I have the honor to work with, I receive more positive feedback from the public on the efforts of our VSOs,” observed Wichita County Commissioner Mark Beauchamp. The county is currently searching for a second VSO.
“Very few weeks go by that I am not approached in a store or sent an email or text from a veteran thanking Wichita County for cutting through the bureaucracy and directing the veteran to the help needed,” Beauchamp continued.
Jones returned the praise to Beauchamp and his fellow Commissioners Court members for providing the support to do as much as possible for each veteran who walks in the door, whether they are from Wichita County, the State of Texas, another state, or another country.
“We are very lucky to have such great support from our Commissioners Court,” Jones articulated. “They have provided us with three-screen computers, scanners, printers, and more, and they have provided the opportunity for us to receive training.”
Beauchamp would not have it any other way.
“Our veterans deserve the best in customer service as they gave their best to us,” he said, “and as a Commissioner, I am proud that our Veteran Service Office provides the high level of support they deserve.”
This level of service has resulted in not only tears of thanks from many veterans and their families, but also official recognition on both the local and national levels.
“Our local veteran population is so appreciative of their efforts that Wichita Falls DAV Ch. 41 recognized our VSOs in August of this year,” Beauchamp shared. DAV Ch. 41 presented Jones and Adam Arruda, VSO at the time, with the Outstanding Service Award “to show appreciation for their dedication to enhancing the lives of local veterans.”
Earlier this year, the National Association of Counties (NACo) recognized the Wichita County VSO Office as a NACo Achievement Award Winner in Human Services. When announcing the award, NACo shared the following:
The Wichita County Veteran Service Office recognized challenges in assisting veterans, including long wait times, lack of care for homeless veterans, and ignorance about VA processes. In response, they initiated the No Veteran Left Behind program with objectives such as providing non-judgmental care, efficient services, collaboration with local resources, and becoming the best in Texas.
The office improved operations, reduced wait times, and filed over 100 percent more VA disability claims in the first two months of 2024 compared to the previous year.
They extended assistance to veterans worldwide, collaborated with various organizations, conducted seminars, and beautified their office space. The office’s success is attributed to a focus on outstanding customer service, collaboration, and a genuine commitment to helping veterans in need.
Veterans Service Officers Duties and Responsibilities
The Wichita County Veteran Service Officers (VSOs) are accredited through the Texas Veterans Commission. They assist veterans and their families in accessing federal and state benefit programs, filing disability compensation claims and survivor benefit claims, and providing information on available resources. The VSOs in Wichita County developed the motto No Veteran Left Behind where we seek to serve any and every veteran. While our focus is Wichita County, we assist veterans spanning across the globe. We have collaborated with other agencies and played a role in securing veteran housing, providing transportation to and from medical appointments, and intervening in crisis situations. Many of our veterans suffer from invisible wounds; we do our best to accommodate to that. We don’t just file claims, we love and care about our veterans from sharing war stories to obtaining benefits and analyzing exactly what your needs may be. We are advisors and provide information, resources, and a plan to move forward based on your specific circumstances.