Minot Daily News SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 2019
Military
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Eloise Ogden/MDN
MAIN: Those getting ready to cut the ribbon for the new Minot Veterans Affairs Community Based Outpatient Clinic on Jan. 8 are, from left to right, Alex Holm of Rolac Contracting in Minot; Kaitlyn Weidert of Sen. Kevin Cramer’s Minot office; Sally Johnson of Sen. John Hoeven’s Minot office; Lavonne Liversage, director of the Fargo VA Health Care System; Kristen Offerdahl, Northeast Region Clinic manager in Grand Forks; Sarah Stevick, Northwest Region Clinic manager in Minot; and Shaun Sipma, Minot mayor.
A special place for veterans New VA Clinic opens in Minot
Submitted Photos
ABOVE LEFT: The new VA Clinic in Minot is loBy ELOISE OGDEN cated at the Southside Plaza, 3400 S. Broadway. Regional Editor • eogden@minotdailynews.com ABOVE BOTTOM: The new Minot VA Clinic includes telehealth rooms. New technologies such “This is a special place because of the nation’s heroes who walk through these doors as telehealth help improve health care services. every day and the dedicated hard-working staff who care for them,” said Lavonne Telehealth in VA helps ensure patients get the Liversage, director of the Fargo Veterans Administration Health Care System. right care in the right place at the right time.
Services available in Minot area for veterans, families
Liversage spoke at the ribbon cutting and open house held Jan. 8 for the new Minot Veterans Affairs Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Minot. The clinic, formerly located at Minot Air Force Base, opened in its new location at the Southside Plaza, 3400 S. Services are provided for veterans and their families by a Broadway in Minot on Dec. 14, 2018. number of entities in Minot and area: At 9,650 square feet, the new clinic is nearly three times They include: more space than the previous clinic located – Minot Vet Center: readjustment counseling plus informaat Minot AFB, according to VA infortion and assistance with numerous benefits, 852-0177 mation. – Minot VA Clinic: medical care, including a homeWith the new clinic located in VA CLINIC MINOT less veteran coordinator. 418-2600 Minot as opposed to at the base, INFORMATION – County and Tribal veterans service offices: beneveterans will have an easier time fits for veterans. (See list at nd.gov/veterans) The new Minot Veterans accessing their care because – Minot State University Veterans Center: veterAffairs Community Based they do not have to go through ans’ educational benefits. 858-4002 Outpatient Clinic is located the security and paperwork – Supportive Services for Veterans Families at the Southside Plaza, 3400 process of entering a military through Community Action: VA-funded program S. Broadway, in Minot. installation. to help those including homeless, transportation asHours are Monday-Friday The new clinic has 10 exam sistance, etc. 839-7221 from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. – Minot Area Homeless Coalition: advocates, coorrooms, three consultation rooms, The phone number is dinates and optimizes services for homeless persons. laboratory and dedicated rooms for 418-2600. 852-6300 women’s health, procedures and tele– Job Service North Dakota, Minot: veterans representahealth services. tive. 857-7500 The new layout of the clinic better utilizes – Family Assistance Center, Armed Forces Reserve Center, the Patient Aligned Care Team model which is intended to Minot: provides support and assistance to service members and transform the way veterans receive care, according to VA intheir families by offering information about military, federal, formation. Patient Aligned Care Teams enhance veterans’ state, and local resources. 701-420-5861 care by providing patient-driven, proactive, personalized, – North Dakota Military Outreach Program, Armed Forces Reteam-based care focused on wellness and disease prevenserve Center, Minot: state program to connect veterans, service tion, resulting in improvements in veteran satisfaction, members and family members with the “right resource to fit their health care outcomes, efficiency and costs. needs.” 420-5848 “We hope this clinic sends a message however large or – Veterans Step Up Foundation: organization founded by vetsmall. The services of veterans are valued and we’re comerans to help veterans get their benefits. 701-681-9272.
MINOT AFB YEARLY ECONOMIC IMPACT
2014: $577.8 million 2015: $561.3 million
2016: $591.5 million
2017: $580.4 million 2018: $546.8 million (In fiscal years)
Big Impact
“We hope this clinic sends a message however large or small. The services of veterans are valued and we’re committed to providing you with the best medical care possible.” – Lavonne Liversage director, Fargo VA Health Care System, speaking at the new Minot VA Clinic
mitted to providing you with the best medical care possible,” Liversage said. As people toured the clinic that day, she said they would notice the design of the clinic is very different from the clinic that was at the Air Force base. “The VA has adopted a model of care called “patient aligned care team,” which is a team approach in providing care. This design is far more conducive to team collaboration, which allows us to ensure veterans’ needs are met by the right person at the right time,” Liversage said. “It truly takes a village to pull off a project of this magnitude,” Liversage said. She said those who helped the VA “get where it is today” with the new clinic include the veterans and their service to this country and for putting their faith in the Fargo VA Health Care System. Providing you with high quality, safe and innovative patient care is our highest priority. Your continued support of our health care See CLINIC — Page 2
Minot AFB adds million of dollars to economies of local communities
By ELOISE OGDEN
Regional Editor • eogden@minotdailynews.com MINOT AIR FORCE BASE – Nearly 20 years ago, Minot Air Force Base had an economic impact of $268 million on the local area and a total payroll of $159.7 million. Those figures are from the base’s fiscal year 2000 economic impact report prepared by the Budget Office of the 5th Bomb Wing Comptroller. Today, the Minot base – home of the 5th Bomb Wing with its B-52 bombers and the 91st Missile Wing overseeing
150 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles in northwest and north central North Dakota – has an economic impact slightly more than twice the amount reported nearly 20 years ago. In fiscal year 2018, the base contributed $543.1 million to the local economy and its payroll was $361.4 million, according to 2nd Lt. Trevor Violette, budget officer for the 5th base’s Comptroller Squadron. Violette reported the findings at a
February meeting of the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce’s Military Affairs Committee. The report is prepared each year to inform community leaders and others of the economic impact Minot AFB has on the local area.
Property and Buildings
Minot AFB consists of over 5,304 acres of land, said Violette. He said the See IMPACT — Page 2
RIGHT: 1st Lt. Alexander Hansen, 742nd Missile Squadron mission lead, and 2nd Lt. Elizabeth Jordan, 742nd MS missileer, process a technical order checklist at Minot Air Force Base on Jan. 15, shown in this photo by Senior Airman Jonathan McElderry. LEFT: Airman 1st Class Marcus Watkins, 5th Maintenance Squadron non-destructive inspection apprentice, cleans iron particles off of a piece of equipment at Minot Air Force Base on Jan. 25, shown in this photo by Senior Airman Jonathan McElderry. Submitted Photos
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Sharing stories By ELOISE OGDEN
Regional Editor eogden@minotdailynews.com Medal of Honor recipient Clint Romesha says he appreciates being able to share his military experiences with others. “I’m a firm believer that we as veterans owe it to this country to share those stories because you can never truly convey what combat is to people but maybe we can shed a little light on what true service and sacrifice is,” said Romesha of Minot. “A lot of people call me a hero. I’m not. I don’t feel that way, I never have,” he added. A former Army staff sergeant, Romesha received the Medal of Honor at a White House ceremony in February 2013. The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon a person serving in the U.S. military. He was honored for his actions on Oct. 3, 2009, while serving at Combat Outpost Keating in the Kamdesh District, Nuristan Province, in Afghanistan, when about 300 enemy fighters attacked the outpost. Originally from California, Romesha says Minot is his hometown – the town where he lives. He moved here several years ago to work in the oil field after getting out of the Army. Speaking to the Minot Young Professionals Network in the Grand Hotel in Minot in January, Romesha noticed quite a few airmen from Minot Air Force Base were in the audience. “I want to thank you guys from the bottom of my heart for your service, for your sacrifice...,” he said. “You men and women have done something that less than one-half of the country does and that’s don the uniform.” Romesha told the group he’s “Clint” but in his day’s in the Army he was Sergeant Ro. He grew up in northern California in a tiny town with 100 people called Lake City and went to school in a town with about 500 people. “It was really awesome to kind of transition out of military having 12 years of service and come here to Minot,” he said. He said Minot was really the first spot he found since leaving Lake City of which he can now say “this is home.” When he was growing up in California, he said he didn’t know what he was going to do with his life other than he always wanted to serve in the military. His grandfather had served in World War II, surviving Normandy
Clinic
Medal of Honor recipient: Veterans sharing stories shed light on true service, sacrifice “I’m a firm believer that we as veterans owe it to this country to share those stories because you can never truly convey what combat is to people but maybe we can shed a little light on what true service and sacrifice is.’ – Clint Romesha, Medal of Honor recipient
Eloise Ogden/MDN
Clint Romesha, a Medal of Honor recipient, speaks to the Minot Young Professionals Network in January. Romesha says it is important for veterans to share their stories to help people understand what true service and sacrifice is.
Beach and the Battle of the Bulge. His dad did two tours in Vietnam. But, he said, combat or war were not really anything they talked about. “It was always the stories of their comrades and their brothers in arms and their experiences they had – the good times,” he said. He said it wasn’t prerequisite for one of the Romesha boys to join the military when he became of age but he saw the tradition following with his oldest brother joining the Army, his second oldest brother joining the Marines and himself following in those footsteps. Romesha was 17 when he graduated from high school because his birthday wasn’t until August. “I wanted to join the Army. I don’t know quite why, I just wanted to do it,” he said. “Always growing up with grandpa, my dad and brothers – in that community was always giving something back to this country, doing something more than just being here for yourself.” He talked to a recruiter a couple days after graduating from high school and got the paperwork drawn up but because he was only 17 he had to have his parents’ permission to join. He went to his dad and told him he just had to sign and he would ship off
in a couple weeks. His dad wouldn’t sign for him. Romesha thought that was unfair. His dad told him: “There’s not a lot going on in the world right now (1999). If you join the military, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not 20 years, but if you put on that uniform, maybe some day you will be called upon to go and do and see things that no man should ever have to go and do and see.” “At the time I didn’t really understand what he was saying,” Romesha said. “I understood the words, I didn’t understand the context.” He said his dad, who served two tours in Vietnam, never talked about his time there. He said he thought his dad didn’t want to sign for him because he wanted a full summer of work from him and was trying to delay it as long as he could. When Romesha turned 18 he went to the recruiter, signed up and a couple weeks later he was off to basic training at Fort Knox, Ky. After finishing basic training he was sent to Germany. Shortly after, he was sent to Kosovo in 2000. “That was something that really put in perspective of what my dad was saying but what as an 18year-old punk kid from northern California used to complaining about the
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system helps us to obtain the financial resources to continuously improve our services and our infrastructure.” She also thanked the highly dedicated employees of the Minot Community Based Outpatient Clinic and those at the Fargo VA Health Care System in Fargo for their countless hours in helping this project come to fruition. “Several employees have worked very hard on this project and are incredibly fortunate and proud to serve veterans alongside all of you,” she said. Liversage said the Veterans Integrated Service Network VA Midwest Health Care Network 23 Contracting Team contributed to the project. VISN 23 located in Eagen, Minn., oversees the VA health care systems in North Dakota and several other states. She said there is a very vigorous process to go through to obtain funding for a project such as the new clinic. “Without the support of our network staff we would not be here today,” she said. She said project partners have also played a vital role in building the new clinic, including the lessor, Shop On Broadway LLC, and Rolac Contracting. “Your hard work and dedication has been really invaluable to making this clinic what it is today,” Liversage said. The contract with Shop On Broadway, LLC, is a 10-year lease. She said the veterans service organizations and the veterans service officers’ overall advocacy and support of veterans and the VA Health Care System are also an important part of the project. “We’re committed to continuing our support to VA’s mission as decreed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1865: ‘To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan.’ Our veterans deserve and expect
Saturday, April 6, 2019
Minot Daily News • PROGRESS: Military
nearest McDonald’s was a 45-minute drive away, I realized that what I got at birth in this country and that is freedom was something that so many around the world don’t have,” he said. In Kosovo, Romesha said the military was escorting Albanians to Serbian towns and Serbians to Albanian towns just to get gas for their tractors for their farms because if they didn’t have a military escort they were being killed. “It opened my eyes to this idea that what I thought was something everybody had was surely not and it gave me a deeper understanding for service to country and what that meant,” he said. “I was in the Army for almost 10 years before Oct. 3, 2009,” Romesha said. He had already done two combat tours to Iraq and Afghanistan would be his third combat tour. Romesha, who was coming up to the 10-year mark of his military career, said he had never thought about making the military a career. “I decided this will be one last hitch and I’ll get out. The decision was already made,” he said. The team – the platoon – was built before going to Afghanistan. “We knew we were going to a part of Afghanistan that was not the most ideal,” he said. He said for many – 18,
Impact
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base also has right of way easements for over 19,000 acres that make up the Minot missile complex. The base has 474 industrial buildings and 1,606 family housing units, 14 dormitories/visiting quarters and 14 temporary lodging facilities. In addition, there are miles of utility distribution lines, roads, flightline runways and taxiways, over Submitted Graphic 1,100 vehicles and many more items inThis map shows the Fargo VA Health Care Sys- cluding communication and electronic tem’s catchment area. The highlighted counties systems that need to be maintained, Vioare the counties the system covers with its serv- lette said.
ices, and the counties they draw their statistics from. Ultimately, Fargo VA Health Care System is responsible for all of VA’s Veterans Health Administration services in the highlighted counties. The counties not highlighted in southwest North Dakota are covered by the Black Hills VA Health Care System. However, any veteran eligible for VA health care can use any VA clinic they want anywhere in the country. the highest quality of health care and this new clinic will help us continue to deliver the care that they’ve earned,” Liversage said. Sally Johnson of Sen. John Hoeven’s Minot office, said, “This is a wonderful, wonderful day.” She said the clinic is one of the issues that has come up regularly over the years. “We had so many calls for the whens and timing when this will move into Minot. I think this is going to be a great benefit for all veterans,” she said. She read a letter from Hoeven thanking all who have worked to transition the clinic to the Minot community. “We cannot show enough gratitude to our veterans but in these and other ways we can honor their bravery and service. Our veterans are the greatest in the world and it is because of their efforts that America is the greatest nation in the world has ever known,” Hoeven wrote. Kaitlyn Weidert of Sen. Kevin Cramer’s office in Minot, said, the new clinic “is a great accomplishment.” In a letter from Cramer that she read to those at the ribbon cutting and
open house, Cramer congratulated everyone with the Fargo VA Health Care System for developing greater veterans’ healthcare services in Minot and for all they are doing to increase accessibility to programs, services and facilities across the region. “As a nation it is our sacred duty to recognize and honor our veterans. They deserve only the highest level of care when it comes to their health and well being,” Cramer said in the letter. He said the enhanced services offered at the new clinic will ensure Minot area veterans have greater access to state-of-the-art health care throughout their lives. Shaun Sipma, mayor of Minot, said, “This enhancement is going to make a significant difference to not only this community but to the region itself because we know veterans live all across our great state in the small towns and rural areas – many came back to farm. This is an accessibility issue, this is a quality of service issue that is greatly appreciated to see this expansion within our community and it will make a significant different,” he said.
Population
“Obviously, it takes a great deal of manpower to operate the Minot base,” Violette said. On Sept. 30, 2018, the base had 5,353 active-duty military personnel assigned to the Minot base. Accompanying military family members totaled 6,055, Violette said. “Civilian employees also make up a significant portion of the workforce at Minot Air Force Base,” Violette said. The base has 1,015 civilian employees. Combining military members, military family members and civilian employees, the base has a total population of 12,423 people. In looking at yearly population of the base, there was a 2 percent increase from fiscal year 2017 to fiscal year 2018, according to Violette.
Payroll
The 5,353 active-duty military personnel had a payroll of more than $305 million and reserve forces had a payroll of $900,000, for a total military payroll of $306,430,076, Violette said. He said 53 percent of the base’s airmen and their families live off base in Minot or the surrounding communities. The total civilian payroll comes to more than $55 million. Combining military personnel and civilian payroll, the base’s total payroll is more than $361 million. Violette said much of the payroll is spent in local communities. The 2018 payroll of $361.4 million in fiscal year 2018 is a slight decrease compared to the 2017 fiscal year payroll of $381.7 million.
Maintenance and Construction
“Each year many dollars are spent on maintaining buildings, roads and other infrastructure at Minot Air Force Base,” Vio-
19 and 20 year olds – it would be their first combat tour. He said they got the briefing of what Combat Outpost Keating was going to be. “We knew that the only way in and out was by air – by helicopters that would only fly at night,” he said. Logistically, he said they knew it was a site hard to resupply and support. The outpost was surrounded by mountains on all four sides. Romesha tells the story about Combat Outpost Keating and his platoon in his book, “Red Platoon: A True Story of American Valor.” A New York Times bestseller, the book is considered “the only comprehensive, firsthand account of the fourteen-hour firefight at the Battle of Keating by Medal of Honor recipient Clinton Romesha,” according to the Penguin Random House website. “This ranks among the best combat narratives written in recent decades, revealing Romesha as a brave and skilled soldier as well as a gifted writer….Romesha remains humble and self-effacing throughout, in a contrast with many other first-person battle accounts, and his powerful, action-packed book is likely to stand as a classic of the genre.” according to a Publishers Weekly review. “Red Platoon exemplifies the courage and resiliency our country was founded on. Clint is a true brother and a man that I look up to,” Dakota Meyer, Medal of Honor recipient and author of “Into the Fire” said in a review of Romesha’s book. A former Marine corporal, Meyer was awarded the Medal of Honor for saving the lives of 36 U.S. and Afghan troops during the Battle of Ganjgal on Sept. 8, 2009, in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. A movie based on Romesha’s memoir, “Red Platoon,” is in process of being made and Romesha is involved in that movie. Another movie, “The Outpost,” based on a book, “The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor,” written by Jake Tapper, is scheduled to be released later this year, according to the Imdb.com website. Romesha said he was selected to wear the ribbon of silk and the medal but it’s not his. “It not only represents those eight guys that gave up more than was ever required of them, it represents every American, all of our service men and women – past, present and future. The ones that sacrificed, the ones that are currently sacrificing and unfortunately, the ones that are going to have to do it in the future to sacrifice. That’s what I wear it for now, that’s why I carry it with me.”
lette said. During fiscal year 2018, $42.3 million was spent on construction projects and $10.5 million on service contracts. “Many dollars are spent in the community to keep Minot Air Force Base running,” Violette said. He said the commissary and Base Exchange spent more than $1.8 million while health care services under the Tricare program spent more than $21.4 million and education services more than $9 million, among other procurements. Total other procurements came to more than $42.3 million. “Altogether money spent for construction, services and other procurements totaled $87 million,” Violette said. Fiscal year 2018 had a decrease in construction, services and other procurements driven by a slight decrease in construction projects, Violette said.
Indirect jobs
The number of indirect jobs shows how the money ripples through the local economy. In fiscal year 2018, 1,985 indirect jobs were created in the Minot area. Based on an annual wage of $47,476, the 1,985 indirect jobs have a dollar value of more than $94 million, Violette said.
Total economic impact
“To determine the total economic impact of the Minot community, we add the annual payroll of the base, the base’s annual expenditures – construction, services, material and equipment – and the value of indirect jobs created. This produces a grand total of over $543.1 million. This figure represents the economic contributions of Minot Air Force Base makes to the local community,” Violette said. He said a look at the multi-year economic impact chart shows the overall trend of the past five years has been fairly constant in actual dollars since 2014. He said the Minot area also has 1,442 military retirees with a gross payroll of $33.1 million. He said these dollars also contribute to the economy of the local community. A five-year comparison of military retirees’ pay shows an annual increase each year. He said the fiscal year 2018 economic impact of Minot AFB on the local community was slightly lower than fiscal year 2017. A slight decrease in construction projects was one of the key factors in the slightly lower economic impact. “The bottom line: Minot Air Force Base will continue to have a positive economic impact on the city of Minot and surrounding communities in FY19 and beyond,” Violette said.
Saturday, April 6, 2019
Minot Daily News • PROGRESS: Military
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Minot Daily News • PROGRESS: Military
Saturday, April 6, 2019
ADDITIONAL TRAINING REQUIREMENTS ND National Guard working on expansion of Camp Grafton Training Center-South
By ELOISE OGDEN
Regional Editor eogden@minotdailynews.com A bill in this year’s North Dakota Legislature includes $600,000 for an expansion at the North Dakota National Guard’s Camp Grafton Training CenterSouth in Eddy County. The N.D. National Guard is proposing to expand Camp Grafton Training Center-South so it can provide more training for military members. Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, adjutant general of the N.D. National Guard, told members of the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce’s Military Affairs Committee during a meeting in Minot in October 2018, that Camp Grafton Training Center-South is an asset but it is not adequate in size to support range and maneuver functions. Meeting additional training requirements of operational reserve requires additional in-state range and maneuver training areas to allow units to train and prepare in state more frequently. This includes ranges for all weapon systems. At a minimum, the N.D. National Guard would like to expand Camp Grafton Training Center-South with 6,000 more acres to build a new range complex, Dohrmann said. They would also like to add another 17,000 acres if that opportunity is available. Dohrmann said the proposed expansion will benefit soldiers and airmen by training in the state so they are ready to accomplish their missions when they are called upon. Military members from Minot Air Force Base have also trained at the Camp Grafton. Currently, military members in North Dakota go to such places as Camp Guernsey in Wyoming and Camp Ripley in Minnesota for some of their training. Dohrmann said the Guard wants to continue to be good neighbors and will work with willing landown-
Submitted Photos
TOP: Senior Airman Noelle Kurowski of the 219th Security Forces Squadron prepares to fire an M240B machine gun while wearing a gas mask at the firing range at Camp Gilbert C. Grafton South on July 12, 2018, shown in this photo by Senior Master Sgt. David H. Lipp. The airman is performing annual weapons familiarization training and qualification for the assigned mission of missile field security at Minot Air Force Base. BOTTOM: Sgt. Dane Fischer, left, from the 957th Engineer Company, and Pvt. 1st Class Melissa Walz, from the 1-112th Aviation Battalion, attempt to put together a Sincgars radio and give a report over the radio during the Stakes lanes of the Best Warrior Competition at Camp Grafton South near McHenry on Aug. 11, 2018, shown in this photo by Staff Sgt. Brett Miller.
ers for a fair land transaction for the proposed expansion. He said the N.D. National Guard has no authority for eminent domain and will not seek such authority. He said they will work with all landowners, counties, cities and the Spirit Lake Nation to receive input and discuss the proposal. Some townhalls and meetings had been held. At the time of the October meeting, the proposal was in the preliminary stages of discussion to determine interest and to receive feedback before deciding if they should proceed with a proposal to the North Dakota Legislature during the next legislative session. Two months later, leaders of the Guard and North Dakota Stockmen’s Association met to discuss landowners’ concerns surrounding the Camp Grafton expansion. During the meeting the Guard affirmed its commitment to the project without the use of eminent domain and ensured that any newly acquired land remains in agriculture production. Dohrmann and Dan Rorvig, a rancher from McVille who is president of the N.D. Stockmen’s Association, issued a joint statement: “Although our positions may differ on the Camp Grafton south range expansion, our core values are more similar than not. The NDSA understands the readiness needs of the NDNG, does not oppose land transactions between willing sellers and buyers, and appreciates where land continues to remain in agricultural production. The NDNG understands the NDSA’s standing policy positions regarding eminent domain and the government ownership of land and appreciates the organization’s unwavering support for the military. We are all North Dakotans who have great respect for the land and each other and remain committed to open and transparent communication between our organizations as this initiative is considered.”
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Minot Daily News • PROGRESS: Military
ND Army National Guard Army Guard presence at four sites in north half of ND By ELOISE OGDEN
Regional Editor eogden@minotdailynews.com North Dakota Army National Guard presence in the north half of North Dakota includes four sites, according to Guard information. Armories in several communities were returned to the communities by formally conducting “Thank-you Final Formation� ceremonies, said William Prokopyk, assistant public information officer for the N.D. National Guard in Bismarck. He said these ceremonies involved thanking the communities for hosting the National Guard units for decades. Armories at Oakes and Cando were returned to those communities in fiscal year 2016. Armories at Bottineau, Mott, Rugby, Grafton, Mayville and Carrington were returned to those communities in fiscal year 2017. Today, Army Guard presence along U.S. Highway 2, from west to east, and in the north half of the state is Minot, Williston, Eloise Ogden/MDN Camp Grafton Training Center south of Devils Lake and Grand Minot’s Armed Forces Reserve Center is the scene of the North Central Veterans Stand Down. This Forks, Prokopyk said. photo shows the seventh annual event held in October 2018 when various organizations and agenThe N.D. National Guard’s 164th Engineer Battalion headcies filled the Armed Forces Reserve Center to provide veterans with information about benefits and quarters are located at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in other services for them. Minot.
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Minot Daily News • PROGRESS: Military
Serving veterans & family members
By ELOISE OGDEN
ter can assist them if they stop in the office, Miller said. Regional Editor “We are able to do that paeogden@minotdailynews.com perwork with them,” she said. An art piece with a military She said the veteran would member saluting and an eagle need to bring to the Vet Center along with the words, “Home of their DD214, their military septhe free... Because of the brave” aration paperwork, and Vet greets those who enter the Center staff will help them fill doors of the Minot Vet Center. out a 1010EZ. That form will be Minot Vet Center is a place sent to VA Eligibility, the office where military veterans and that will determine if the vettheir family can visit for a range eran is eligible for VA health care. “There’s some different of services. The local Vet Center has op- enhanced eligibilities that erated in Minot since 1982 and sometimes people aren’t aware is in its fourth location, accord- of. We’re willing to help anying to Hiedi Miller, director. one,” she said. She said the Vet Center also The facility originated at a site along E. Burdick Expressway, does outreach which includes then moved to a North Hill lo- education in the community cation followed by another about veteran services. “We can move to the Metro Center Mall do programs for different organizations that want to know in southwest Minot. Since late September, Minot more about veterans’ topics,” Vet Center has been in its new she said. The Vet Center program is home at 3300 S. Broadway and is just a few doors away from based on three pillars: counseling, outreach (education) and the Minot VA Clinic. Staff at the Vet Center is referrals.“If we’re not able to do comprised of three counselors it here, we find where that perincluding Miller, an office man- son can get what it is they ager and an outreach specialist. need,” Miller said. Services provided at the Vet Currently, the center also has a Center includes PTSD (postvolunteer/intern. North Dakota has three Vet traumatic stress disorder) and Centers. The Minot Vet Center military sexual trauma. Bereavement counseling covers west to the Montana for family members of anyone border including New Town who has died on active duty – area, north to the U.S./Canawar related as well as other dian border, south to Wash- causes of death – is also proburn and east to vided there. Minnewaukan/Fort Totten. If a family member of a vetThe other two Vet Centers in eran asks for help, the Vet Centhe state are in Fargo and Bis- ter would assist them in finding marck. services available to them. “There’s 300 Vet Centers in Services to clients are confithe country and they’re avail- dential. able for all veterans,” said Eyeglasses for Miller. She said a veteran can veterans go to any of them. Due to the distance to the Services VA facility in Fargo, the Minot “We do what is called read- Vet Center has eyeglass frames. justment counseling services. “If a veteran goes for an opThat includes anything from tometry appointment in the someone trying to find out if community, then they’ll come they’re eligible for VA health here to pick out their eyeglass care, to looking for a job and we frames and we’re able to get would refer them to people that their eyeglasses ordered for would have that information, to them,” Miller said. The Vet the more intensive counseling Center has been providing the like individual mental counsel- service since this past July. ing, marital couples counseling, Prior, veterans went to the family counseling, and we also Ward County Courthouse to have groups,” Miller said. pick out eyeglass frames. She said the Minot Vet CenNumber of clients, ter has been getting a number staff of veterans who believe for varAt any given time, the ious reasons they are not eligible for VA medical care. Minot Vet Center has about 120 Eligibility requirements have active clients, or clients being been changed and the Vet Cen- seen at the center on a regular
Minot Vet Center: ‘Home Away From Home’ for Veterans
Photos by Eloise Ogden/MDN
MAIN: Staff of the Minot Vet Center are, from the left, Shone Topham, counselor; Brad Starnes, office manager; Hiedi Miller, director; Ric Gutierrez, outreach specialist; Allison Schuetz, counselor; and Merle Gonsorowski, volunteer/intern. ABOVE: This art piece greets those who enter the doors of the Minot Vet Center at 3300 S. Broadway in Minot. basis. “We’re required to make contact with at least 500 veterans a year,” Miller said. Usually they are in contact with thousands of veterans in the area. The Minot Vet Center takes part in various activities such as health fairs and information fairs as part of its outreach work in the local community and area including the Veterans Standdown held at the Minot Armed Forces Reserve Center each fall. The local Vet Center also hosts the annual Vietnam Veterans Celebration held in Minot. The most recent celebration held March 29 at the Grand Hotel was the eighth annual event. Vets Center staff also attend various veterans service organizations meetings and the monthly veterans meal held in the community. The Minot Vet Center staff has expanded over the years.
Miller said when she joined the staff in 2011, the facility had three staff members. Miller, originally from Glenburn, is retired from the North Dakota National Guard. “My dad is a Vietnam veteran, I’ve always been interested in veterans. I actually did my internship here at the Vet Center in 2008,” Miller said. She joined the staff of the Vet Center in 2011 and became director in 2015. She said the Vet Center program was developed as a peer to peer counseling program – Vietnam veterans helping Vietnam veterans. “We try to stay with that same philosophy because for a lot of veterans it feels more comfortable to speak to someone who knows about the military,” Miller said. The staff is steeped in military. Four staff members are veterans, including two combat veterans, and the fifth and
Minot Vet Center days, hours
newest person on the staff is a spouse of an active-duty military member, according to Miller.
The Minot Vet Center is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Wednesdays, the center is open from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Staff is available after hours including weekends by scheduling the visit ahead of time by calling 852-0177. If someone needs to reach staff on weekends or after hours, they can call 1-877-WARVets (1-877-927-8387).
Cost to clients
“Our services are completely free. They’ve already paid with their service to our country,” Miller said. She said active-duty military members also can use the Vet Center. A “significant other” of a military veteran also can be seen at the Vet Center. She said a “significant other” is anyone a veteran feels is a significant other to them. “That person might not live with the veteran but is a neighbor, parent, boyfriend or girlfriend or best friend we’ll help because that’s just all part of building that team,” Miller said. She said all of it has to be relating to the veteran’s readjustment. “When I started in 2011 the majority of our clients were Vietnam veterans,” Miller said. She said now the majority of the clients are Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. The Vet Centers are federal and part of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Vet Centers’ program called Readjustment Counseling Services has its own leadership and funding. “We can see veterans even if not enrolled in VA care, they can still come and see us. They don’t have to utilize anything in the VA to get the services here,” she said. The Vet Centers’ leadership is out of St. Louis, Mo., and the chief officer is in Washington, D.C.
Visiting the Vet Center
People can just drop by to visit the Minot Vet Center but if possible, if they can call ahead to make an appointment. However, Vet Center policy is someone will see them that day but they might have to wait a little bit depending on staff members’ schedule that day. “But they’re always welcome to come in. We always have coffee. They don’t even have to be receiving services per se but just to come in and read the newspaper or have coffee. That’s part of what we provide too is a place – kind of a home away from home,” Miller said. The Minot Vet Center’s phone number is 852-0177.
Reaching out
The Minot Vet Center covers west to the Montana border including New Town area, north to the U.S./Canadian border, south to Washburn and east to Minnewaukan/Fort Totten. The other two Vet Centers in the state are in Fargo and Bismarck. A veteran and family can go to any Vet Center in North Dakota and in the U.S.
Vet Center services
– Individual counseling – Group counseling – Marital/family counseling – Bereavement counseling – Drug and alcohol referral – Liaison with VA and community resources – Benefits assistance referral – Community education career referral
“Any time during the hours we are open, we will answer the phone. They’ll get to talk to a live person,” Miller said. “It’s one of the Vet Center policies – we answer the phone within three rings.” The Minot Vet Center staff works closely with other veterans offices and organizations in the local area. “It can be really hard for a veteran to ask for help and when they find the courage and do that, we want to make that as seamless as possible for them,” Miller said. “What we’ll do if we have someone coming in here that is in crisis, we’ll ask some of the other organizations to come here and come to the veteran. That way we can rally around which is part of that military mentality of one group, one fight, one team.”
Military/Veterans organizations in Minot area include: American Legion William G. Carroll Post 26 and Ladies Auxiliary
Club located at 1949 N. Broadway, Minot 852-1532 Millo Wallace, Post commander Alicia Roman, Auxiliary president For more information on American Legion Posts and Auxiliaries visit ndlegion.org (The American Legion Department of North Dakota) and ndala.org (American Legion Auxiliary Department of North Dakota).
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 753 and Auxiliary
Club located at 1100 31st Street SE, Minot 839-6772 Loren Headrick, Post commander Peggy Headrick, Auxiliary president For more information on VFW Posts and Auxiliaries visit vfwnd.org (VFW Department of North Dakota). Eloise Ogden/MDN
Military service emblems and a dedication plaque are shown on a wall in the Veterans Room of the Ward County Administration Building in Minot. This was a project of the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 4 of Minot. The plaque reads: “2018, In Memory Of: ‘All Those Who Served,’ Chapter #4-Minot, ND, Disabled American Veterans, ‘Duty-Honor-Country.’ ” The Minot area has a number of military/veterans organizations.
Military Order of the Cooties Loren Headrick, commander Minot VFW Club, 839-6772
World War II Last Man’s Club Don Wunderlich of Velva 626-7628
Disabled American Veterans, Chapter 4, and Auxiliary Ric Gutierrez, DAV Chapter commander Skip Gjerde, DAV Chapter adjutant Pat Bice, Auxiliary president 509-1834
Marine Corps League, John M. Joyce Detachment Ray Morrell of Mandan 516-3539
Vietnam Veterans of America Dan Stenvold of Park River 284-6402
Air Force Association, Gen. David C. Jones Chapter
Master Sgt. Juan Vergara 723-7969
Honoring Those Who ServedMinistry Richard Reuer 441-1170
AmVets Post 10 and Auxiliary Tammy VanWinkle, adjutant 833-6112 Sources include Minot Public Library’s “Clubs and Organizations in Minot Area” at Library’s website at minotlibrary.org, then go to “Clubs & Organizations.”
Saturday, April 6, 2019
Minot Daily News • PROGRESS: Military
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Helping veterans
Assistance with benefits available at county, tribal Veterans Service offices By ELOISE OGDEN
Regional Editor eogden@minotdailynews.com County and tribal Veterans Service offices are the local resources for assistance to veterans in obtaining federal and state veterans’ benefits. They provide the expertise and advocacy that veterans need to optimize access to benefit programs, according to North Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs information. Services available at county and tribal Veterans Service offices are free to veterans and their families. County and tribal Veterans Service officers “handle inquiries and applications regarding veterans’ health care, compensation, pension, longterm care and other benefits for veterans of all ages. Burial benefit assistance is provided to the survivors of veterans. Widows and widowers of veterans are eligible for many state benefits, and in limited cases, federal benefits,” according to the information. Most of the programs vet-
Services available at county and tribal Veterans Service offices are free to veterans and their families erans use are offered through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the North Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs. The county and tribal Veterans Service officers are in contact with these agencies on a regular basis and also work with the National Service officers of various veterans’ organizations when filing VA benefit claims. The county Veterans Service officers work with several other county, state, and federal government agencies that also provide resources or assistance to veterans. County Veterans Service officers and staff are employees of their respective counties, according to the
information. Each county is required by law to appoint and pay the expenses of a Veterans Service officer as provided by state laws and funding is provided by county property tax according to state laws. Tribal Veterans Service officers are in contact with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the N.D. Department of Veterans Affairs on a regular basis. They also work with the National Service officers of various veterans’ organizations when filing VA benefit claims. Tribal Veterans Service officers also work with several other tribal, state and federal government agencies that also provide resources or assistance to veterans. The Tribal Veterans Service officers and staff are employees of their respective tribes. The services available at county and tribal Veterans Service offices are free to veterans and their families. Minot and area Veterans Service offices, location and veterans service officers are
Jill Schramm/MDN
John Crosby is the Veteran Service officer for Ward County. County and tribal Veterans Service offices in North Dakota are the local resources for assistance to veterans in obtaining federal and state veterans’ benefits. as follows: – Benson County, Minnewaukan, Stacy Twete. – Bottineau County, Bottineau, Dwight Nahinurk. – Burke County, Bowbells, Zeke Isakson. – Divide County, Crosby, Roman Fettig. – Dunn County, Manning, Carolyn Benz. – Eddy County, New Rockford, Kathy Steinbach. – Foster County, Carrington, Corean Swart. – McHenry County, Towner, Jim Davenport. – McKenzie County, Watford City, Jerry Samuelson. – McLean County, Washburn, Todd Schreiner.
– Mercer County, Stanton, Ronald Crowley. – Mountrail County, Stanley, Lisa Lapica. – Pierce County, Rugby, Ron Montonye. – Ramsey County, Devils Lake, Stacy Twete. – Renville County, Mohall, Lynn Price. – Rolette County, Rolla, Todd Poitra. – Sheridan County, Denhoff, James Paulus. – Towner County, Cando, Kathy Benson. – Ward County, Minot, John Crosby. – Wells County, Harvey, Dean Johnson. – Williams County, Willis-
ton, Grant Carns. Area Tribal Veterans Service offices, location and veterans service officers are as follows: – Fort Berthold/Three Affiliated Tribes, New Town: Bill Hale Jr., Thomas Crows Heart Sr. and Marva Pretends Eagle. – Spirit Lake Nation, Fort Totten, Marty Alex. – Turtle Mountain, Belcourt, Richard Marcellais. Source: N.D. Department of Veterans Affairs For more information visit the N.D. Department of Veterans Affairs website at nd.gov/veterans.
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Minot Daily News â&#x20AC;¢ PROGRESS: Military
Saturday, April 6, 2019