After serving 24 years in the U.S. Army, Tom Nelson is excited to serve Antelope County — and his fellow veterans.
Nelson, of Tilden, officially spent his first day on the job Friday as Antelope County Veterans Service Officer after Ron Marshall retired from 30 years of service. “I feel like I have to give back. This is my opportunity to give back, pay it forward,” Nelson said. Nelson grew up in Tilden and gained his associates degree in professional aeronautics and a bachelor's degree in management and technical operations. He then spent 2 ½ years as a Department of Defense civilian and one year as a government civilian for homeland security. Later, he worked at the social security office until his recent job as Veterans Service Officer. Now, his experience in the military and filing claims brings him to Antelope County to serve veterans and their families. Being able to help out the veterans is what excites me the most about this job, said Nelson. His goals include having a complete automated system and bringing more federal money into the county for veteran benefits. Making more veterans feel comfortable stepping forward about their benefits is also an ambition for the new officer. “All veterans need to register with their veterans service officer,” said Nelson. “Sooner or later, they’re going to need those benefits.” Nelson also sait he knows what each veteran has to go through both serving and applying for benefits. He encourages all veterans to reach out to see what benefits they are eligible for by emailing antelopevetser@frontiernet.net. |
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