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Monday 8am - 4pm Tuesday 8am - 4pm Wednesday 8am - 4pm Thursday 8am - 4pm

Chaffee County Veteran Service Officer

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Chaffee County Veteran Service Officer

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Chaffee County Veteran Service Officer - Ashley Ottmer

09/19/2026

HUGE Thank You, to my fantastic assistant VSO and the fairgrounds staff for all their support for today's event!

HUGE HUGE Thank You, to all the amazing vendors that came to connect my veterans to all of the amazing resources available to assist them.

And last but certainly not least, THANK YOU to all my awesome veterans who came out today to see us!

I am grateful for a successful event and cannot wait for next year! We have goals to see this event grow each year and connect more of our county's heroes to the benefits and services they've earned ❤️🤍💙

It is an honor and a privilege to be your veteran service officer 💜

09/18/2026

We are officially up and running! Come out to see us 💜💜💜

09/15/2026

Please join us this Friday, September 18, for the FREE Chaffee County Veteran Resource Fair!

Veterans and their families are invited to stop by anytime between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. at the Chaffee County Fairgrounds. This event brings important benefits, healthcare, housing, wellness, legal, aging, and community resources together in one convenient location.

Participating organizations include:

• Roy Williams Foundation
• Chaffee County Housing Authority
• Chaffee County Public Health — Dental and A1C Screenings
• Veterans Benefits Administration
• Pikes Peak National Cemetery
• Colorado Veteran Su***de Prevention
• VA HUD-VASH
• Colorado Veterans Community Living Center at Homelake
• Rocky Mountain Veterans Advocacy Project
• Anupa Wellness
• Volunteers of America
• Valley Wide Health
• Parker University
• American Legion Post 55 and Post 64
• Mountains Move
• Enhabit Home Health & Hospice
• Marine Corps League and VFW
• SolVista Health
• Places to Age
• HRRMC Marketing and Public Relations
• Central Colorado Area Agency on Aging

And, of course, your Chaffee County Veteran Service Office will be there to welcome you at the check-in table!

We will also have a community job board featuring employment opportunities and applications from local organizations that are currently hiring.

Water, soda, and light refreshments will be available. Come meet local resource providers, ask questions, explore available services, and connect with organizations that support our veteran community.

Friday, September 18
10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Chaffee County Fairgrounds
Free for veterans and their families

Please help us spread the word—we hope to see you there!

09/11/2026

Today is a day of remembrance.

Most of us can recall exactly where we were when the attacks of September 11 unfolded. We remember the shock, the grief, and the lives forever changed. We also remember how, in the face of unimaginable tragedy, Americans came together as one.

At a time when division can feel like the easier choice, I challenge each of us to choose connection—to lead with compassion, strengthen our communities, and remember all that unites us.

Thank you to my fellow veterans, our first responders, and everyone who answered the call that day—and who continues to serve and make a difference today.

I hope you’ll join us at the Patriot Day event in Poncha Springs this afternoon and evening. Veterans and first responders eat free, and all community members are welcome.

We remember. We honor. We stand together.

Cartoon Art Credit to one of our dear local veterans Ken Kirchner (posted with his permission) :)

❤️🤍💙

08/19/2026

Are you a local business that is currently hiring?? If you have paper applications or an application link that can be published on a pull tab...please send it my way ([email protected])! I am going to have a Job Board up for all of our veterans at the event and I'd love to showcase your offerings.

Are you a local food truck that might like to get some advertisement/business by being in the parking lot for this event? We have a full vendor roster and while I cannot tell you how many people will or will not attend, it is sure to create at least a little visibility. If you want to post up let me know because there are some additional steps for food trucks through the fairgrounds!

08/13/2026

I am excited to welcome Catherine "Katie" Rayburn to the Chaffee County Veteran Service Office as the Assistant Veteran Service Officer!

Katie served in Army Aviation as a CH-47 Chinook
Helicopter mechanic and crew chief. After multiple deployments, she was medically retired
after 15 years of service. She is excited to join me to help fight the VA for all our fellow veterans!

As you can see, we're serious about what we do for veterans and we're going to have fun while we do it! We can't promise that the VA will always cooperate but we can promise you'll feel cared for and get a good laugh while in our office 💜

Welcome Katie! I'm so glad you're here!

07/28/2026

Join us at American Legion Post 64 for our potluck and monthly meeting. Meetings are the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Potluck at 5pm, Meeting at 6pm. ❤️🤍💙

07/23/2026

A couple important announcements:
- I will be in Buena Vista for appointments at the American Legion building on August 6th & 18th and September 1st & 17th from 9am-4pm. If you live in BV and have been hoping to make an appointment please give me a call and we'll get you scheduled!

- The Veteran Resource Fair is happening on September 18th from 10am to 4pm at the Chaffee County Fair Grounds! Please come see all the different resources available to veterans and their families! I can't wait to see you there!

**If you are interested in being a vendor, I only have a couple tables left so please reach out ASAP to get on the list!
***If you are a food truck that might be interested in staging in the parking lot for breakfast/lunch...please reach out as well!

You can reach me by phone at 719-239-4678, by email [email protected], or by message here!

07/14/2026

🍕 Understanding VA Math with Pizza 🍕

One of the most confusing parts of VA disability is the combined rating. A lot of people think two 50% ratings should equal 100%, but that's not how VA math works.

Here's an easy way to picture it:

Imagine you're a whole pizza. 🍕

You receive your first 50% disability rating. That means half of your pizza is gone. You still have 50% of the pizza left.
Now you receive another 50% disability rating. The VA doesn't take 50% off the original whole pizza—they take 50% of what's left.
Half of the remaining half is 25% of the original pizza.
So now you've lost:
🍕 50% + 25% = 75%

That's why 50% + 50% = 75% combined, not 100%.

Let's try another example:

Start with 100% (a whole pizza).
30% rating removes 30% of the pizza. You have 70% left.
Another 20% rating removes 20% of the remaining 70%, which is 14%.
Total removed: 30% + 14% = 44%, which rounds to a 40% combined rating under VA rounding rules.
The key thing to remember is this:

👉 Every new disability percentage is applied to what's left of the pizza, not to the whole pizza.

It's not regular math—it's "VA math." Once you understand that each rating is taken from what's left, the combined ratings start to make a lot more sense.

Hopefully this pizza analogy helps! 🍕🇺🇸

07/07/2026

A friendly reminder for our local community...
In Colorado, a Disabled Veteran (DV) license plate alone does not authorize parking in an accessible (handicap) parking space. To park in an accessible space, a vehicle must display either a Handicap Disabled Veteran license plate or a valid disability placard.
Many veterans have service-connected disabilities that are not mobility-related, while others meet the additional eligibility requirements for accessible parking. Both groups have made sacrifices in service to our country, but these parking privileges are reserved for those who qualify under Colorado law.
This distinction is especially important here in Chaffee County, where accessible parking spaces are already limited. Thank you for helping keep those spaces available for the veterans and community members who need them most. ❤️🤍💙

Address

448 E. 1st Street Room 134
Salida, CO
81201

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 4pm
Tuesday	8am - 4pm
Wednesday	8am - 4pm
Thursday	8am - 4pm

Website

https://www.chaffeecounty.org/departments/veterans_services.php

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