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Veterans officer reports Gilliam County highest per-capita veteran rate in state; office logged 109 interviews last quarter
Summary
Eric Aiken reported his tri-county veteran services office handled 109 client interviews last quarter, distributed roughly $82,973.85 monthly to veterans in Gilliam and Wheeler counties combined, and said Gilliam County is 14.2% veterans per capita as of 2024; commissioners asked about outreach and event planning.
Eric Aiken, the veteran service officer who covers a tri-county area, briefed the court on his quarterly report and the office’s workload. Aiken said the packet includes a budget sheet showing $73,765.61 expended over two quarters for the office's operations and a breakdown of services the office provides.
He told the court the office completed 88 in-office interviews and 21 out-of-office interviews in the most recent quarter for a total of 109 interviews. Aiken said monthly new awards paid to veterans totaled $13,798 and that, combined at the state reporting level for Gilliam and Wheeler counties, the total monthly VA benefits paid was $82,973.85.
Aiken said Gilliam County ranks first in Oregon for veterans per capita (14.2% as of 2024). When asked whether that percentage translated to a specific headcount in the county, he estimated "approximately 280 veterans." Aiken said staffing and outreach patterns reflect the tri-county service area and noted that some veterans who receive benefits remain tied to their original county of record until they sign new paperwork authorizing a different veteran service officer.
Commissioners asked about Veterans Day planning, holiday meal funding (now funded through a grant), and how the office reports numbers to the state. Aiken described a rough estimate of 200 people engaged with a recent toy drive and said the state asks for a contact-count figure; he cautioned such counts are rough and should not be interpreted as precise measures of impact.
What’s next: commissioners encouraged continued outreach, website updates for service days, and coordination with local restaurants and providers for veterans programs.
