The longest-serving member of the Dawes County Veterans Service Board is now the county’s Veterans Service Officer. Allen Connell of Whitney is the third person to hold the post this year.

Connell served as an unofficial acting VSO between the death of Jeff Fankhauser in January and the hiring of Mike Kohler in May, and as the official acting VSO after Kohler resigned in October.

He says somewhat tongue-in-cheek that taking the position on a permanent basis after spending 27 years on the board wasn’t completely his idea and that he was “talked into it.”

Connell says he wasn’t originally interested in the permanent position and wasn’t even qualified earlier in the year because he hadn’t done the paperwork needed for state certification, but warmed to the idea after numerous friends and veterans urged him to become the full time VSO.

Connell doesn’t plan any major changes in the way the Veterans Service office operates, but will use a new computer program that makes accessing the records of veterans easier. He also plans to better coordinate visits to the Hot Springs VA to reduce the number of trips.

Connell hopes to see more younger veterans use his office as well so they can be entered in the system and take advantage of the federal and state veterans benefits they’ve earned.