10/07/2026
I’m attending our semi-annual State VSO Training this week. I attended in person today and will be participating virtually for the remainder of the week.
I’m glad I decided to make the trip over to the Springs today, as Aaron Munz, Veteran Director with Asbestos.com, was one of our presenters. I first met Aaron at the National VSO Conference in San Antonio in 2022, and since then, he has been an invaluable resource I’ve connected with both as a state and county VSO. The cases I have connected with him on have had a 100% success rate. That speaks volumes about his knowledge, commitment, and passion for serving veterans.
Aaron shared a statistic with us today that I feel is important to pass along:
Of the approximately 2,500 mesothelioma diagnoses each year, roughly 30% are veterans. Considering veterans make up only about 6% of the U.S. population, that is an incredibly disproportionate number. Of those veteran cases, approximately 80% served in the U.S. Navy.
Something equally important to understand is that asbestos related disease can have an extremely long latency period. Symptoms may not appear until 20–70 years after the initial exposure.
Aaron’s recommendation was that if you believe your military service or occupation placed you at significant risk for asbestos exposure, talk with your primary care provider. Give them your history of potential exposure and discuss whether a low dose screening CT scan and pulmonary function test (PFT) are appropriate for you. Establishing a baseline now may provide an important point of comparison later.
Today was also personally meaningful.
I was honored to receive an award from Bruce Cowan, Director of the Colorado Division of Veterans Affairs, recognizing Custer County for setting the benchmark in Colorado for VA participation rates.
Custer County currently leads the state at 86.15%.
That means more than 86% of our county’s veterans are receiving VA benefits and compensation. For perspective, the county currently in second place is at approximately 56%, while the statewide average is 40.19%.
I’m proud of 86.15%, but I’m not satisfied with it.
My goal is to exceed 95%.
To put the importance of these percentages into perspective, a 1% increase in Colorado’s statewide participation rate represents approximately 3,600 additional veterans receiving VA benefits and compensation.
Financially, that same 1% increase represents approximately $144 million in additional benefits going to Colorado veterans every year.
Those numbers illustrate just how significant the responsibility placed at the feet of Veterans Service Officers really is.
It is also why I am so critical of ineffective veteran advocacy, not only in Colorado, but across the country. This work cannot simply be about occupying a position, attending meetings, or saying the right things. Results matter.
Behind every percentage point is a veteran.
Behind every claim is a person or family who may have spent years struggling with an injury, illness, financial hardship, or simply not knowing what benefits they earned through their service.
When VSO’s do this job effectively, the impact extends far beyond an individual VA claim. We can change the financial trajectory of a veteran’s household, improve access to healthcare, provide stability for surviving spouses and families, and bring millions of federal dollars back into the communities we serve.
That is an enormous responsibility, and an equally enormous opportunity.
I’m incredibly proud that a small, rural county like Custer County is setting the benchmark for the rest of Colorado. But there is still work to do.
86.15% is the benchmark today. Exceeding 95% is the mission tomorrow.
If you are a veteran in Custer County and you are not currently receiving VA benefits, or you’re unsure whether you are receiving everything you have earned, please come see me.
There may be a benefit you earned through your service that you simply don’t know about yet.
That’s why we’re here.
