Bellingham Bulletin April 2024

Page 14 Bellingham Bulletin Local Town Pages | www.bellinghambulletin.com April 2024
Municipal Spotlight
Campbell, Milot Are Devoted Veterans Service Officers
By KEN HAMWEY,
Bulletin Staff Writer
When military veterans in
Bellingham need assistance or advice,
Warren “Art’’ Campbell and
Ana Milot are the go-to individuals
to see at the town’s Veterans
Service office at the Municipal
Center.
The 70-year-old Campbell
served as a sergeant in the Marine
Corps as a radar technician
for six years and the 58-year-old
Milot, who’s an Army veteran,
served in the Reserves for 21½
years before retiring in 2004 as a
Staff Sergeant. She was a personnel
records specialist and a flight
medic.
The tandem is ready, willing,
and able to provide help for veterans,
whether the assistance is
about Chapter 115 benefits or
about federal Veterans Administration
(VA) claims.
Chapter 115 benefits provide
financial aid for food, shelter/housing,
clothing, fuel and
medical assistance for veterans
and their dependents who have
limited incomes. The program
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Bellingham, MA 02019
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is overseen by the Mass. Department
of Veterans Services (DVS)
in partnership with local Veterans
Service Officers (VSO).
“The DVS pays 75 percent,
and the town pays for 25 percent,’’
said Milot, who also works
in the finance department for
the Bellingham school district.
“For fiscal year 2023, the total
benefits paid out to recipients
was $74,215, and the reimbursements
received from the DVS was
$48,019.’’
Campbell and Milot are
Bellingham’s Veterans Agents,
trained to provide assistance
not only for federal and state
benefits, but also to provide information
on resources, such
as compensation and pensions,
health care, education and training,
employment, burial and survival
issues, transportation and
military records.
“When a veteran needs VA
help, we do an intake interview
and assist in getting the claim
completed,’’ Campbell said. “If
the VA requires a physical exam,
for example, then it will make
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Ana Milot and “Art’’ Campbell are always ready to assist military
veterans.
the necessary arrangements and
inform the veteran where and
when his/her appointment will
be held.’’
Campbell and Milot, who
attend two seminars annually
that focus on updates on current
services, are well-equipped
to assist veterans with issue
linked to the PACT Act, which
expands and extends the scope
of VA health care.
“That legislation enables veterans
who experienced toxic
exposures to be eligible for VA
health care,’’ Campbell said.
“That includes veterans of the
Vietnam era, Gulf War era, and
post-9/11 era. The conditions
include exposure to agent orange,
burn pits, and asbestos. Other situations
covered are PTSD, military
sexual trauma (abuse) and
other service-related injuries. We
can definitely assist veterans with
these issues.’’
The VA indicates that since
the act was signed into law in August
2022, it has conducted more
than 4.5 million toxic exposure
screenings and approved more
than 400,000 benefit claims at a
78 percent approval rate.
Milot became a Veterans
Agent in September 2022, and
Campbell joined the office in
July 2023. “Our goal is to help
as many veterans as possible in
whatever ways we can,’’ they said.
Campbell, on duty at the office
Monday through Thursday,
says he assists 10 veterans a day
at the office, takes about a dozen
phone calls daily and makes three
or four house calls a month.
Veterans Service Officers continually
have to deal with excessive
paperwork and regulatory
procedures and must stay ahead
of what seems like a never-ending
learning curve. So, why are Milot
and Campbell attracted to the
task?
Campbell, who also is the
Veterans Agent for Millville,
considers his work a mandatory
outreach. “For 27 years I’ve been
involved with VA health care for
my own service-connected disabilities,’’
he said. “It’s about giving
back. It’s my desire to give
back and help out fellow veterans.’’
Milot says her role is to ensure
that veterans are respected
and get access to what they need.
“As a veteran, I am committed
and passionate about serving
our veterans,’’ she noted. “Every
veteran deserves to be respected
and I want to make sure veterans
have access to the support and resources
they need. Even if it’s just
to stop in and chat.’’
Both agents emphasized that
what they do gives them “a great
deal of satisfaction.’’
Campbell, who worked in
electronics for defense contractors
before turning his full attention
to veterans, is troubled by the
low number of people who provide
services for veterans.
“In all my years of handling
veteran affairs, I’m amazed at
the large number of veterans
who need vital services, and
the low number of people
who provide services,’’ he said.
“My suggestion to Bellingham
residents is to consider what you
can do in whatever way to help
and assist those who made huge
sacrifices to serve and preserve
our freedoms.’’
Milot added: “See a Vet, thank
a Vet.’’
Military veterans Art Campbell
and Ana Milot, devoted to
the needs of those veterans who
courageously chose to defend
America, are the right people at
the right time to occupy the seats
at Bellingham’s Veterans Service
office.
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421 Pulaski Blvd,
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