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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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Salida, CO
Chaffee County Veteran Service Officer

Chaffee County Veteran Service Officer - Ashley Ottmer

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. ❤️🤍💙

06/25/2026

The Chaffee County Veteran Resource Fair is coming up, and we are seeking veteran-serving organizations, nonprofits, and community partners to participate!

If your organization provides resources, services, or support to veterans and their families in Chaffee County or the surrounding area, we would love to have you join us. This is a great opportunity to connect directly with local veterans and share the services you offer.

Please reach out if you are interested in reserving a vendor table. We hope to see you there!

06/06/2026

🚨 SCAM ALERT FOR VETERANS & SURVIVING SPOUSES 🚨

Several local veterans and veteran spouses have recently reported receiving text messages claiming they have 30 days to respond or risk losing their VA benefits.

⚠️ Please be cautious. Scammers often use urgent language, deadlines, threats, or requests for personal information to create panic and pressure you into responding.

Before clicking any links, calling unfamiliar numbers, or providing personal information:

✅ Verify the message directly with the VA.

📞 VA Benefits Hotline:
1-800-698-2411
Option 5 → Option 1

If you receive a suspicious message while I am on vacation and are unsure whether it is legitimate, please contact the VA directly using the number above before taking any action.

Remember:

Do not click suspicious links.
Do not provide Social Security numbers, bank information, or VA login credentials via text message.
When in doubt, verify through official VA channels.

Please share this post to help protect fellow veterans, spouses, and survivors from scams.

06/01/2026

📢 Veteran Service Office Schedule Update

Please note that I will be attending a virtual conference this week and may have limited availability during conference sessions. I will continue checking messages and returning calls as time allows between sessions.

Additionally, I will be on vacation next week and will be out of the office through June 14th. Regular services and call returns will resume on June 15th.

☎️ If you call and reach voicemail, please leave only ONE message with your name, phone number, and a brief description of your needs. This helps ensure there is enough voicemail space available for all veterans and family members seeking assistance.

🚨 If you are experiencing a crisis or need immediate assistance, please contact the Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 and pressing 1, or by texting 838255.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. I look forward to serving you when I return.

— Ashley Ottmer
Veteran Service Officer

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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