New Veterans Service Officer ready to help

Dubois County’s Veterans Service Office has reopened with a new face meeting veterans who stop by for assistance.

After closing in March due to Covid-19, the office reopened September 22 with former Veterans Service Officer Bob Johnson handing the reins over to Amber Harris.

The 25-year-old is a five-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force who worked as a crew chief on the C-17 military transport aircraft and the KC-10 aerial refueling tanker.

Harris grew up a few miles south of Holland. She graduated from Tecumseh Junior-Senior High School in 2014 and immediatedly enlisted in the Air Force. After training, she was stationed in New Jersey her entire enlistment except for deployments to the Middle East.

Harris returned to the area after leaving the military and when she heard about the veterans service officer position opening up, decided to apply.

“I sought this position to work with veterans because I want to help them receive the benefits they have earned,” Harris explained adding that many veterans are unaware of the benefits they have earned and that they deserve. “I want to make these benefits known to the veterans when they come in my office or when they call me.”

The veterans service office can help honorably discharged veterans find assistance for medical issues as well as other areas including finding a job, housing, or training. The office is obligated to help veterans find those resources they have earned through their service.

As a veteran herself, Harris said she looks forward to helping her fellow veterans find the assistance they need. “I look forward to every appointment with veterans because I am passionate about assisting them with their benefits,” she said.

Harris said she has enjoyed hearing the stories from the veterans that have stopped into the office since it reopened. While walk-ins at the office are fine according to Harris, appointments have priority. To avoid potentially having to wait to speak with her, she recommends you make an appointment by calling her at 812-481-7090.

The Dubois County Veterans Service Office is open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is located at 602 Main Street in the County Annex Building. The entrance is on Sixth Street near the Jackson Street intersection.