STEVENSON — Skamania County’s Veteran Services Office (VSO) recently earned statewide attention for achieving significant success supporting local veterans. At a recent statewide VSO training, Veteran Service Officers Shannon See and Mitchell Crawley were recognized for helping veterans in Skamania County receive nearly $2.4 million in benefits for fiscal year 2025/26.
In addition, their work helped increase the number of local veterans receiving benefits by 7% — benefits that include compensation for injuries from active duty service, housing assistance, education, elder care, and even funeral expenses for families.
During the fiscal year, Crawley and See assisted local veterans submitting claims to the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) that identified more than 320 individual issues, and approval was granted for 187 of those, reflecting the individual care that goes into each case.
Despite the success of Skamania County’s Veteran’s Services, the future of the local program is in doubt. Due to the statewide budget shortfall, the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs recently notified several counties — including Skamania — that longstanding funding will expire on June 30, 2027. Without legislative action to reinstate or replace the funding, Skamania County will face significant challenges to sustain the services local veterans have come to rely upon. In the face of an uncertain future, however, Skamania County’s VSO team continues in their mission to provide help to local veterans.
Veterans seeking help can contact the Skamania County Veteran Services Office for an appointment. Call the office, located at 710 SE Rock Creek Drive, Stevenson, at 509-427-3977. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
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