Allamakee County Veteran Services

04/29/2026

Come out today and see us at the Decorah CBOC.

04/16/2026

https://youtube.com/shorts/6UWtrcoOF6M?si=BLFPChILElzi-IRO

If you earned GI Bill benefits, don’t leave them on the table. VA is helping Veterans get more out of their education benefits -- starting with understanding...

04/15/2026

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has determined approximately 96,000 Veterans may be eligible for a refund of their unused Veterans' Educational Assistance Program (VEAP) contributions totaling up to $2,700, but VA only has contact information for 25% of them. We need to reach the other 75% and need your help. While we search and cross-reference other VA databases for contact information, you can notify those of your members who might be eligible so they can reach out to us and request a refund of their VEAP contribution.

Below, we have provided talking points you can use to inform your members nationally or share with individual chapters to help them identify potentially affected members and explain the situation to them.
VA has informed us that approximately 96,000 Post-Vietnam Era Veterans or their dependents may be entitled to a refund of contributions they made to the Veterans' Educational Assistance Program (VEAP). If you don’t know, VEAP was a service member education and training savings program for Post-Vietnam Era Veterans.

Why are some service members owed refunds?

In general, Veterans have ten years from their date of discharge to use their education benefits. Some ineligible Veterans still have unused contributions and are entitled to a refund.

Who might be missing their refund?

Veterans potentially eligible for a refund would have:

Entered Active Duty between 01/01/77 to 06/30/85
Contributed to VEAP while on active duty and before 4/01/87
Not used all their contributions
Not have been dishonorably discharged
Completed 24 months of continuous service or have been discharged early due to:
Convenience of the government within three months of the end of their enlistment (an “early out” under Title 10, Section 1171)
Hardship (under Title 10, Section 1173)
Service-connected disability (this includes those rated for a compensable service-connected disability even if they were not discharged for that disability)

What should an eligible, or potentially eligible, Veteran do?

If you have unused VEAP funds, you should submit VA Form 22-5281 after completing sections 1-6, 14, 15, and 18. It will take 3-4 weeks to receive a response and/or refund via U.S Treasury check.

If you are unsure whether you are eligible for a refund or whether you participated in VEAP, you can call the Education Call Center at 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442 4551) domestically or 001-918-781-5678 overseas, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. CT.
Thank you for your help in this.

Respectfully,
Education Service

03/19/2026

Great news, Veterans! The Decorah CBOC is now OPEN and ready to welcome you back. Our dedicated team is reaching out to reschedule appointments and ensure you get the care you need. Thank you for your patience and support during our closure! We’re honored to serve you every step of the way. If you need assistance, please call 563-387-5840.

03/03/2026

Please share with anyone this may help.

03/03/2026

Veterans: This is for you!
There is a grant that will cover 100% of tuition costs for any current or retired veteran, their spouse or their children and step-children.

03/03/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DSVB9G4J1/

The Decorah Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) is closed until further notice due to flooding caused by a sprinkler system failure. We will share updates as more information becomes available. Clinic staff will be contacting affected patients to assist with care needs and scheduling.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to resolve this issue.
If you have questions or need assistance, please contact us at 563-387-5840 or send a secure message through MyHealtheVet.

02/19/2026

https://youtu.be/WBucHCSfnDw?si=NtDwNRiUDcR6PyWr

In this episode of theSITREP, Paul discusses how Veterans and their families can save tons of money by getting their medical equipment and supplies through t...

10/10/2025

Allamakee County Veterans Services is promoting the sale of a vehicle Crisis Line sticker throughout the month of October. Mental Health is so very important to us. This Crisis Line is meant for anyone to use. $3 for each sticker sale will go to the Mental Health Today, Matt Howe Tribute. This is a Community Foundation Endowment focused on awareness, education, and resources for mental health. We feel it is very important to keep this money local for local resources and education. We also hope that this very straight forward sticker will get out and in the eyes of more people who may need to see it. When purchasing this sticker, you will be able to pick it up at Epicwear, or there is also an option for shipping. Please order one for each of your vehicles as a sticker may save a life.
https://getepicwear.com/suicide_crisis_lifeline/shop/home