Garland County Veterans Service Officer Mark Aho helps veterans navigate VA bureaucracy

Listing duty assignments, rank, job specialties and service time, discharge papers are the coin of the realm when navigating the tortuous bureaucracy of the U.S.

Veterans seeking benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs often rely on their discharge papers to prove their service time, rank, job specialties and duty assignments. But sometimes, those papers aren't enough to fully substantiate a claim, especially for duties veterans got assigned to outside of their regular units.

Such was the case for a veteran seeking benefits from asbestos exposure. He had been loaned out to a unit that had been exposed, but it wasn't reflected in his discharge records. It took the thank you letter he received from the unit's commander to prove it.

"The letter mentioned the unit and commander," said Garland County Veterans Service Officer Mark Aho, who submitted the letter to a senior VA adjudicator after the claim had been denied multiple times, resulting in an estimated $4,100 monthly benefit for the remainder of the veteran's life. "That's why you always keep every document. One piece of paper can make a difference in a decision. They granted him his 100% special monthly compensation. This is going to greatly change his life and the life of his family."

Aho can help track down a copy of a misplaced DD Form 214, but even that sometimes isn't enough to fully substantiate a service-connected disability claim. Discharge papers don't include duties veterans got assigned to outside of their regular units.

Another case in point: A widow had discharge papers showing her husband was a veteran of the Vietnam War. His service and campaign medals were part of the record, but the VA said the decorations alone didn't prove he was there during the war. Aho found an order that authorized the woman's husband to travel from Oakland to De Nang, Vietnam, leading to $25,000 in back pay.

"That was nearly a year on that one," Aho said. "It's always going to be a battle of some sort. Fortunately for me, I'm wired for it."

He has submitted documents on behalf of 600 veterans since County Judge Darryl Mahoney hired Aho in the summer of 2023 and referred many more to services outside the VA or forms they need to file a claim.

"Mark has done an unbelievable job at getting our veterans claims caught up and recovered a great deal of funds as well," Mahoney said. "He is doing a fantastic job, and we support his efforts in every way we can."

Claims proceeding from the 2022 passage of the PACT Act kept him busy during his first year on the job. Called the largest health care and benefit expansion in VA history, the law added numerous illnesses and diseases eligible for benefits without veterans having to prove they were caused by exposure to burn pits, Agent Orange and other toxic substances.

"The military doesn't necessarily tell you anything about the VA process," Aho said. "They don't go into great detail, so a lot of people didn't know these conditions were presumptive illnesses."

With claims taking months and even years to move through the VA's multiple administrative layers and levels of review, victories are hard-earned. Aho, who rose from avionics apprentice to flight chief during his 23 years, seven months and 25 days in the U.S. Air Force, said, "This can be a tough job. You have to be a little crazy and little nerdy to do it, but it's a rush knowing I helped change someone's life. That gets me through the tough times and makes it all worth it."

The county office on the first floor of the courthouse is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m to 4 p.m. Appointments are required. Aho can be reached at 501-622-3795 or at [email protected]