Get to know a VVA VSO: Camaraderie with Her Fellow Veterans Drives Michigan VVA Veteran Service Officer Katrina Gramer's Passion for Helping Those in Need.

BY Paul Rogers

Since my Vietnam War veteran father-in-law came to live with us recently, I’ve witnessed firsthand the enormous impact that a Veterans Service Officer can have on a veteran’s life. Veterans Service Officers help veterans, their families, and survivors obtain service-related Department of Veterans Affairs benefits, including disability compensation, education benefits, health care, home loans, and more.

I recently spoke to Katrina Gramer, a VVA Veterans Service Officer in Michigan, to find out more about the role of VSOs.

“We really are paralegals, social workers, counselors, puzzle and problem solvers, and researchers,” Gramer, a post-9/11 Navy veteran, said. “We do so many things to help veterans get benefits.”

VSOs are trained and accredited by the VA but do not work for the VA. They are employed by veterans service organizations and by state and county veterans offices. VSOs act as veterans’ advocates in navigating the VA paperwork required to receive service-related benefits, at no charge. A single meeting with a service officer can transform a veteran’s life and that of the veteran’s family.

Gramer lives among the veteran population she serves in the close-knit village of Holly, Michigan, but she also works with veterans from a wider area extending into three counties.

“I’m not a 20-minute appointment person,” she said. “I want to build a relationship with you. And that way we’re not missing anything. It’s easy to miss something if you’re a 15-minute, 20-minute in-and-out-the-door.”

After leaving the Navy and returning to her native Michigan in 2005, Gramer began volunteering for local veterans groups. When a VSO opening came up at the Holly Veterans’ Resource Center, she was swiftly hired.

“There’s such a camaraderie when you serve in the military,” she said. “Because you have this common bond, being able to help fellow veterans is very rewarding.”

Gramer is in her office Monday through Thursday, also works remotely, and visits veterans with limited mobility in their homes. Although employed by VVA, she helps veterans of all eras.

A typical workday begins with checking documents and letters from the VA, such as rating decisions and the results of compensation or pension exams. In addition to scheduled in-person appointments, she welcomes walk-ins throughout the day while also communicating with veterans, the VA, and doctors’ offices, drafting letters, and filling out forms on veterans’ behalf.

“One of the best parts of the day is opening VA documents and seeing that a veteran has received a positive, a ‘yes,’” Gramer said. “We’ve been fighting hard for that because it’s life-changing. It helps them every day for the rest of their lives.”

Gramer has helped veterans with virtually everything from getting a new roof to setting up a new home after relocating to her area. One veteran for whom she secured a 90 percent disability rating had such a positive experience that he has volunteered at the Resource Center ever since.

She is meticulous in developing VA claims to maximize their chances of being approved the first time rather than requiring a time-consuming appeal later. Informing veterans that their claims have been denied is one of the emotionally challenging aspects of her vocation, along with witnessing the declining health or deaths of men and women with whom she has developed relationships.

Gramer stressed that the VA has significantly streamlined its bureaucracy over the past 20 years, so claims are now often processed more quickly. Additionally, legislation such as the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act and the PACT Act means that veterans who may not have qualified for certain benefits years ago could now be eligible.

For example, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act extended the presumption of Agent Orange exposure to certain veterans who served in the offshore waters of Vietnam, while the PACT Act added new presumptive conditions and exposure locations.

Accordingly, Gramer encourages veterans who had negative experiences with the VA years ago to visit a Veterans Service Officer who might surprise them with the range of assistance now available.

VSOs represent veterans in much the same way lawyers do in some proceedings, but without charging fees. Gramer, for example, has participated in video hearings between veterans and Veterans Law Judges.

“For everyone who comes into our office, our job is to help them as best we can,” she said. “We are held to strong ethical standards and can help them all the way through the process.”

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