Shownotes
Welcome to Talk Of The County, where we honor our veterans and dive deep into the services and support available to them.
In this episode, host Kenneth Wilson is joined by guests Executive Director Robert (Buck) Bramlish and Assistant Director, of Services Matthew H. Zelnik from the Franklin County Veterans Service Commission.
Nutrition and Hunger: "It's very difficult right now for a lot of our veterans who are living on the margins." — Robert (Buck) Bramlish
Together, they discuss the challenges veterans face, the vital assistance provided by the organization, and the importance of recognizing and supporting those who have served our country.
Support for Veterans' Families: "So we would encourage anybody if they have questions, don't self diagnose. Let a service officer take a look at when that and the when the veteran served and what benefits might be out there." — Matthew H. Zelnik
From mental health to financial aid, and housing assistance to community partnerships, this conversation sheds light on the resilience of veterans and the ongoing commitment to serving those who have sacrificed for us all. They explore the stories, struggles, and triumphs of our veteran community in Franklin County, Ohio.
Top Takeaways
1. Veterans face unique challenges during their transition to civilian life, including mental health issues like PTSD, employment difficulties, and processing trauma, emphasizing the need for comprehensive support systems.
2. Recognizing and leveraging the values and experiences gained from military service can lead to veterans being valuable and resilient employees in different sectors.
3. Navigating the complex VA benefits system poses challenges for veterans, with a lengthy and uncertain process that requires support and assistance to ensure claims are successfully processed.
4. Financial assistance programs play a crucial role in supporting veterans in areas such as housing, food security, and emergency needs, demonstrating the importance of timely and efficient aid distribution.
5. Partnerships with various organizations and community outreach efforts are essential in reaching and supporting veterans, including those who may not be actively engaged with traditional veteran service organizations.
6. There should be continued efforts to raise awareness about available benefits and services for veterans and their families, ensuring they receive the support they deserve.
7. Providing supportive housing and wraparound services can be effective in addressing homelessness among veterans, emphasizing the significance of tailored assistance programs to meet individual needs.
8. Celebrating armed forces-related holidays such as Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day serves as an opportunity to honor and remember the sacrifices made by service members and their families.
9. Ensuring that aging veterans receive adequate support and are aware of available benefits and resources is crucial, highlighting the importance of adapting services to meet the evolving needs of the veteran community.
Memorable Moments
08:29 Livingston Commons: Housing and support for veterans.
15:00 Helping clients and veterans navigate VA claims.
20:44 VA offers programs to support veterans and families.
26:30 Underutilized VA pension for aging veterans.
28:41 VA offers healthcare, options for veterans.
35:21 Request services through website, financial assistance available.
40:44 Supporting veterans through accessible digital services is essential.
43:21 Franklin County has generous financial assistance approach.
53:44 Veteran emphasizes benefits of military service.
talkofthecounty@franklincountyohio.gov
Copyright 2024 Franklin County Board of Commissioners
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Transcripts
Good afternoon. Here for another exciting Talk of the County podcast. Today, our conversation is going to, revolve around service and, specifically, conversations about, serving our veterans in Franklin County. Those who have put it all on the line, for our freedoms that we enjoy today and to be able to be in spaces like we are to have these kind of conversations. If it were not for our military, servicemen and women, a lot of the freedoms we have would be, truly, at stake. So I'm here with the people that make it happen for the Franklin County Veterans Service Commission. I'm biased, but I believe we have the best VSC in the state of Ohio or whatever they may call them in the other, counties across America. Because I know, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners and our administrations values each and every one of our residents, and we value our veterans.
Kenneth Wilson [:So I would like, you you all to introduce yourselves, talk about a little bit about what brought you here, to the Franklin County VSC, and then we'll really delve into, other conversations.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Well, that was a really nice words, and and thank you for that. I appreciate it. This is a great place to work. So I, I enlisted when I was 17 and shipped off to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and the army came back, served in the Ohio Army National Guard while I was in college, and my service became more important to me in many ways than the jobs I was pursuing. So I, I I just became so much of a soldier, and enjoyed that life that eventually I I I came on active duty after 911 and stayed on full time, until 2016. And, you know, kind of the the the neat story is what brought me here, My predecessor had mentioned this job was opening, but I was in Iraq. So I actually interviewed for this job from Baghdad, over, I think it was Skype, and didn't really know what I was getting into, but I just knew it was, it was helping veterans. And so I accepted the job.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:They waited on me. I came back, retired, and and I've been here, a little over 8 years now.
Kenneth Wilson [:Mister Bramley, what do you, like most about, your job and what you what you do each day before we get to Matt?
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:You know, honestly, what I think is the greatest thing, and I I've said this a couple of times in other venues, we're here because individuals raise their right hand and swore an oath to to protect and serve the great constitution of the United States, you know, against all enemies, foreign and domestic. And and there's not a whole lot of jobs or or vocations where you swear an oath, especially one of the serious consequences. And so that's who we're helping. Some of these veterans they served, they they made a career out of it. Some of them were in a year or 2. But they all took that oath. They all had the intent to do the best they could, and and I I think that's why I really love doing this.
Kenneth Wilson [:Matt, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Matthew H. Zelnik [:So I, I served 33 years altogether with the Air Force and the Air National Guard. I did 14 years enlisted, 19, as an officer. Got a chance to explore the world, whether it was the Middle East or the Pacific or some embassy work, in Europe, Kent, just had a tremendous career, retired in 2019, saw a chance to come to the Veterans Service Commission here to serve as the first outreach director for the Franklin County Veterans Service Commission and then transitioned about 3 years ago into the assistant director of services, with the chance to work with some terrific people. So it's a great organization, I think our team is top notch, like you said, I'm very biased, we have the best Veterans Service Commission team hands down, and it's it's just an honor to be here and work with our folks every day.
Kenneth Wilson [:Yeah. You know, you all serve a community with a significant number of veterans. You know, just just down the street, we're blessed to have the National Veterans Memorial and Museum. It's not just a, a local memorial, but it has a national designation. And I think that is a testament to Franklin County and Central Ohio and and, the the legacy of of service. And this building has a lot of history, and there's a great display here that, many communities don't have honoring those that have served, that was in a in the original Veterans Memorial. So it, Franklin County is a very patriotic community. We have a VSC that works extremely hard.
Kenneth Wilson [:So talk about some of the greatest challenges facing our veteran community.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Well, I guess we can start off with, about 250,000 veterans or service members transition, either retire or transition out of the military every year, back into civilian life. And and Ohio is the 5th or 6th largest veteran state in the in the country. So a very patriotic state, lots of veterans. That transition is probably the initial challenge a lot of veterans have. That transition from, you know, you you had a pretty specific job, your meals were prepared for you, your living accommodations generally were were prepared for you, and and you were part of a really, really tight community, with similar missions, very serious work. And then you come back and and and, you know, this is a great thing about our civilian life is all the freedoms you have. So so we see our veterans that that do, have to work through that that transition time. I think though day to day, what we're dealing with, I I'd say some of the bigger issues.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:The first one would probably be, nutrition and hunger. You know? Not only that representing the national trends, but our expenditures on on providing food has probably gone up by 50% over the last couple of years, trying to provide food cards and and access to nutrition. It's very difficult right now for a lot of our veterans who are living on the margins. And and the second thing I would say, and then I'll throw it to Matt is, is is is the problem or challenge Columbus has in housing. You know, it's hard for everybody in housing. Mhmm. Veterans, though, that are are are looking for community sometimes, it it's it's as difficult or more difficult. There are, you know, there's some great subsidies out there like HUD VASH, which is a VA program which helps, help certain veterans in the poverty cycle pay part of their housing, but the landlords don't have the units anymore to offer that up.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Right. You know? And so so housing and trying to prevent homelessness homelessness is probably another big one we focus on.
Kenneth Wilson [:And the coalitions are in partnerships are extremely valuable in this community. And you all have at least a couple national, models, where veterans live in a supportive housing setting in partnership with the community shelter board. We we But it's just not enough. It would be great if we had even more of those facilities that provide those wraparound services. But it's other communities would, you know, look and say, wow. Well, we only wish we had those 2 facilities.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Talk about Commons at Livingston. There's a great example of
Matthew H. Zelnik [:Yeah. So Commons at Livingston is a it's out on Livingston Avenue on the east side, and it's a it's a partnership with National Church Residence and it's really designed for for the veteran community that are facing homelessness or need some type of rehousing, but they they wrap around supportive services. So national church residents will provide social workers and case managers as a part of part of the effort to support those that live there, but the VA also comes in and provides those services as well. So it's a great place to help somebody get on their feet who's struggling, maybe provide some stability, and then hopefully, maybe they can find a job and move out and and and to be self supportive. But for those that can't, it kinda gives them that extra layer of safety net that's not necessarily out there for everybody or or, you know, for that age group, but but they really need that. So it's a great opportunity to connect them with community resources, but also inside that that VA care community. And that community of veterans together, more
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:times than not, really does benefit them. Because it's a it's a 100 rooms, if my memory serves me, 100 apartments, and and they're all veterans.
Kenneth Wilson [:They're yes. I've had the opportunity to tour that facility, and it's extremely nice. And those, you know, those wraparound services and that sense of community and family is important to veterans because that is the, culture of being in the military. Yes.
Matthew H. Zelnik [:You know,
Kenneth Wilson [:is everybody all hands on deck, everyone together. And then in civilian life, you can become more isolated, and you don't have that same structure, that you've had. In many cases, people had it for a good chunk of their formative years, their adult life, and then you're just out here in the just doing, you know, everything's moving fast. And that leads me to, you know, talk about we're talking about challenges, you know. May is Mental Health Awareness Month. And many veterans suffered through no fault of their own. There's nothing there's nothing wrong with them that caused it to happen, but it was the conditions of being in, you know, at war or just generally the the grind and and the rigor of of of going through military service, you come out and there's things that you need to talk to someone about. Absolutely.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:You know, there's a recent study that that showed about I think it was about 18% of, the post 911 veteran experience some level of PTS, in the last year and almost 30% in their lifetime. And and it's from all kinds of things. It it it's from overseas and what they saw and experienced. Sometimes it's through various traumas. Sexual trauma is a big challenge that that that some of our veterans have to work through. You know, being in an environment, where where you have friends that, or or mates that that that suffer or struggle or just, you know, what you saw overseas is is a big challenge. And they come back here and they try to process it. And it can be very difficult to process.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:It certainly can't be done on their own. Mhmm.
Kenneth Wilson [:Reuniting with families.
Matthew H. Zelnik [:Right.
Kenneth Wilson [:But with with support, employment can be a challenge sometimes, believe it or not. But when you make a conservative effort to hire veterans, they are just naturally some of your best employees, because they have all they they have the right value set. Come on time, work all week, do whatever it takes, willing to accept the title I had today and put all in there, accept the promotion if that promotion comes. All, you know, all the things that that make people good employees. Veterans are are usually fit the mold.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:I'm I'm glad you said that because we spend a lot of time talking about all the veteran challenges and PTS or PTSD and, you know, and there is true. There there are struggles. That was a that was an incredibly challenging environment. On the other hand, there's tremendous resilience in veterans, tremendous experience. As a young person, you get a lot of opportunity to grow. And so, we see that veterans absolutely. They make great employees, because they wanna be part of something. They really do wanna be part of something.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:And and and Franklin County is is a growing county with so much opportunity. You know, that there's a veteran population out there that's that's that that I would ask employers to look toward to to solve some of your hiring challenges.
Kenneth Wilson [:Yeah. Yeah. It's a, it's a it's a different type of education.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Sure.
Kenneth Wilson [:But it's there's things that you don't get at a 4 year college or university that you get through military service. And if you got an individual that has both, I'm I'm trying to hire as many folks like that as I can as Franklin County administrator. That's that's for sure.
Matthew H. Zelnik [:Well, I think it's easier for a veteran maybe to even connect to the higher purpose of the organizations that they're joining because they all understand that they're you know, whether you go through basic training and you and you get that unit cohesion, you understand what your purpose is. So that skill set that comes with that veteran is they like to link into that, how am I serving the community and how am I making my organization and my and my peers better. So it really is a great, trait to kind of bring into any organization. Yeah.
Kenneth Wilson [:Let's let's now focus in on some of the blocking and tackling that you do to to, positively impact, the lives of our residents that are veterans. Talk about the VA benefit, request process and how you all assist in that process and, a a flavor for the volume, of, of requests that come in?
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Well, let me the the, trying to provide access to veterans benefits, most commonly VA benefits, is one of our 2 core competencies. The other, temporary financial assistance. So we have a lot of expertise. We do a lot of training, spend a lot of time, trying to provide that access. That is truly Matt's bread and butter. So let me let me let Matt.
Matthew H. Zelnik [:So we we are, we're extremely busy when it comes to helping clients or our our veterans, our family members work through the VA claims process, and it's a great challenge or opportunity for us to have. Last year in 2023, we probably did around 1500, work with 1500 clients as far as needing assistance from the VA. Right now, we have about 10 fully engaged service officers. We've got a couple that are that are willing to pick up the process, but the volume is real and they're and each of our service officers are picking up somewhere in the neighborhood of 14 new clients every month that they gotta provide service for. The great thing about how the VA works is we can do what's called an intent to file with someone interested in pursuing a claim with the VA and it locks that date in for a year. So it kind of gives us some time and space to work on that claim, get it filed, and if there are benefits that come back from the VA and some type of monthly compensation, that typically will date back to when we started that intent to file or filed that. And it's very important that that our veteran community understands that. So and it's the veterans who served, but it's also the nieces and nephews or the grandchildren of veterans who maybe the grandkids are all civilians because for 50 years we've now we've been an all volunteer force and not everybody serves, but they're trying to find ways to take care of older members of the family and we help them access those aging benefits that come out for the VA, which could include sometimes a skilled nursing facility, sometimes it's in home care, sometimes it's additional income to keep them housed because they wanna they wanna stay in the house that they're in.
Matthew H. Zelnik [:So the the work that, you know, from our intake folks at at the front desk all the way through our service officers, it's really about capturing their story and helping them go through the process and the wonderful thing is there's no cost to the to the citizens of Franklin County or anybody that we work with. Or if you work with some of the law firms, they can they they there's a cost associated with that, but we're here to help. But for those that are looking to count us, you know, we're asking for just a little little patience and and and working through that volume
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:for
Matthew H. Zelnik [:the small staff. If If I
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:can add just a couple of, a couple of things that, working through the VA process we're we're fans of the VA, but it's not easy. And it's complex, and it's almost never one shot. So you you you might file an intent to file with us, and then we spend 3 or 4 months or you spend time with us building that claim before we actually file the claim. Generally, you'll hear back from the VA. Right now, it's about a 160, 180 days before you hear back. There, you know, there's a certain percent that are approved, but it's a much larger percent that's partially approved or it's appealed or they want more information. And so it is a cumbersome process. And so when you look at 14 you know, a 140 new cases a month, every month, those those really do build on on on top of each other.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:And and the types of benefits, though, that the VA offers, that the service connected disability benefits are benefits that when approved or if approved, put money in the pockets of veterans to help them live their lives, and that's a tax free, event. And there's probably about 13 to 14000 veterans in Franklin County out of the about 60,000 veterans in Franklin County. Mhmm. 12, 14000 of them are receiving some type of VA benefit. And and the average is is, I think, around 11 to $1200 a month. Mhmm. So it really is a great benefit. It just takes time to apply.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:And some people have carried with them an issue Mhmm. From their service that's very obvious. And some people, you know, had that knee that they injured. They got over it. Now they're my age, and that knee's hurting like crazy. But it it the issue originated in service. Those are the kinds of conversations we have Mhmm. To try to understand what benefits they might be eligible for.
Kenneth Wilson [:Families. What types of services are available, to families of active, veterans or or or veterans that, may gain ultimate sacrifice in, their, you know, widowed a widowed family?
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Yeah. No. The, I part part of my time in service, I did spend as a casualty assistance officer, and an escort, and that is truly one of the the toughest, jobs one will have because it's it's as a casualty assistance officer, you're you're helping that Gold Star family. You know, the military does a a real nice job of trying to wrap themselves around that family. But over time, you know, that that person's gone. Their their attachment to the military is gone. The military keeps doing what it's doing. So it's important to your point that the community still understand that those those gold star families, are out there.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Much of the the the higher revised code that guides what we are supposed to do takes into account, family members, especially parents of veterans. And we see that often where there's a, you know, the that veteran that was lost was the glue to that family. And so, we have various things that we, that we can do to to to to help family members within the law, to provide services to them. I will say in most cases, we see it's that community that kinda wraps around those family members.
Matthew H. Zelnik [:And when it comes to the Veterans Administration and then the programs that they offer to support family members, they they've really introduced some great programs. And, again, it's all dependent on the situation. So we would encourage anybody if they have questions, don't self diagnose. Let let a service officer take a look at when that and the when the veteran served and what benefits might be out there. So for an aging, veteran, there's there's, there's a caregiver program that they can provide resources to the to the someone that's being a caregiver for the veteran depending upon the situation. There's a monthly payment that comes along with that for the widow or widow of a survive of a veteran and and and if they were service connected, there might be, compensation for the rest of of the widow or the widowers. Mhmm. Life that comes every month tax free or depending on if they served on wartime and they're short on on money, there's a there's a program that is income based that's a non service connected pension or survivor's pension.
Matthew H. Zelnik [:So there are options that are out there, that can really make the difference in in the quality of life for the community. So between what we can do as the Veterans Service Commission under the Ohio Revised Code and and our programs and and how we we join up with the VA, I think we have a a good suite of of, solutions that are out there that can really help help that person as we connect them to some of our partners.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:And the only one I would add is our veteran service organizations, you know, DAV, AMVETS, VFW, American Legion, they have so many different programs. If someone needs a lift chair Mhmm. And and maybe they're not eligible for our service. The DAV is gonna they're gonna provide a lift chair. They're gonna find a way. They put in, the stair lift to, you know, help people get up and down the steps. We work through our partner upstairs office on aging when we also try to help, you know, veterans, when they need they have a mobility challenge. And if they need Mhmm.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:A bathroom redone, if they need handrails in, if they need a ramp to their home, we can fund that. We'll use our partners upstairs who has has a connection to the, the folks that build those types of, things.
Kenneth Wilson [:Do you all have partnerships with, VFW Lodges, and do outreach events, and such to get more veterans that may be connected with their Veterans Lodge, but they may not be connected with the VSC?
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Yeah. It's a great question. The so, the Veterans Service Commission, is an independent agency inside Franklin County. And it's the way it's it's structured is we have 4 commissioners that I report to that, oversee the basic operation. Those 4 commissioners, by law, have to come from certain groups. They have to be a veteran. They have to belong to the organizations you just mentioned, the VFW, AMVETS. Each group has a year that one of those 5 commissioners will be, appointed from.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Court of Common Pleas makes those appointments. And and the I think the brilliance in that is that does exactly what you said. It keeps us connected to those organizations because our commissioners come from those organizations. And so, yeah. Those those partners are really important for us to reach out to. And and those are organizations that are kinda aging in place. You know? We don't we don't one of the things that that, you know, it's not gonna hit Matt and I as much. He's a little younger than me.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:But the younger veterans aren't joining those those, those groups. And, you know, personally, I think we try to encourage people to participate and join those groups. Those groups have been around. That's why we have the GI Bill, for example. And and the PACT Act probably wouldn't have come about without the influence of those organizations, but those organizations are are aging out without the younger veterans joining them. And it's basically because the younger veterans are 2 people working families that are trying to raise kids. I always joke that when I was in school, soccer was 1 season a year, you know? Now if you're chasing your kid in soccer or football, but it's 3 seasons a
Kenneth Wilson [:year. Mhmm.
Matthew H. Zelnik [:It's
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:just a busier.
Kenneth Wilson [:Yeah. A lot of traveling. Yeah.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Just a busier time.
Matthew H. Zelnik [:And out and outside of the, the the different the veteran service organizations, we also try to target those veterans that are or family members that are outside of that. So we're part of African American Wellness Walk. We're part of the Pride March. We work with the office on aging quite a bit to be at their events, public health. To be out in the community where we're gonna run a where we're gonna be able to, introduce ourselves of the community that's larger, they may not be involved with the VFW or Legion, but we still wanna get out there and make them aware of what benefits are out there for us as far as our region
Kenneth Wilson [:is concerned. I haven't say I haven't saw this administration, of VSC, walk away from an opportunity to, collaborate with community organizations.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:We're we're we are committed to all veterans. And
Kenneth Wilson [:Mhmm.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:And, you know, Matt was helpful when he started the when he came as our 1st outreach, director, but our outreach program is everyone that raised their hand is a veteran, and they're part of the team and part of the family. And, there's some great events in Central Ohio. We're gonna be part of them.
Kenneth Wilson [:What is one of the most underutilized VA benefits that you could share with listeners? And what what listeners need to do to, tap into this eligible aid?
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:We'll try to pick different ones. Hopefully, I'm not gonna pick yours.
Matthew H. Zelnik [:Okay.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:I I would start with the the the the VA pension we used to call it nonservice connected pension. But but the VA pension and this thing that layers on top of it called aid and attendance. Now, the reason I think it's so important and it's underutilized is because most veterans that are starting to age don't know about it, and they usually don't find out about it until they go into a assisted living center or nursing home. And then there's a mad rush to try to get them signed up for it. And and and that message doesn't get to them early enough. So I'll use my example. My dad was a navy veteran, and we we never had to use the program, but it was a great program that I had in my back pocket, that he was eligible for. Now the eligibility, you know, and and and and I'll I'll use round figures.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:You you have to be you have to have a permanent disability or age 65 or older, And then you have to have limited assets. You know, that that might be I think it's about $125,000 in in assets. And then you have to have a limited income. So it is a social services type program. Well, my parents, when they sold their home, they they weren't eligible. They had more assets when they sold their home. And we did the math when they both went into assisted living center. Well, the money they had was gonna last for maybe 3 or 4 years.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:But if you roll that nonservice connected pension in and they're when once they become eligible, once they spend down some of that that asset they have and they become eligible, that 3 to 4 years was stretched to 6 or 7 years. Mhmm. Because then there was a time when the VA could start providing them. Now many veterans are eligible right now Mhmm. By the the criteria I gave you, but they're just unaware of this program. You have to be a veteran. You have to be have served during a war. Didn't have to serve in the war, but it had to have wartime service.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:But that's one that we see Vietnam, you know, as the Vietnam veterans start to get to to that age, where they they may start considering, you know, assisted living or whatnot, which is a big group. That that would be the one I would
Matthew H. Zelnik [:touch on.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Yeah. I'll I'll I'll pick 1 and
Matthew H. Zelnik [:a half, options throughout there for the VA. And I think a lot of it's really around VA health care because a lot of folks, when they separate from service, they go get a career, they have health care, or they they source it from another way, they use it at their family programs, but they kinda miss the opportunity to be linked in that in that in that care arena with the VA, and a lot of that has to do with not willing to be service connected or not taking the time to go through the process. Director Bramlish has talked earlier, 57, 60,000 veterans in Franklin County, 13,000 are somewhat service connected, so So there's a little bit of a gap. But even if the veteran comes in and they're 0% service connected, opening that door for health care is is extremely important. And for some, it it's all there are some co pays, and depending upon where you're connected, there are it's it's covering you and potentially your family. But even to encourage the veteran to be 0 or 10% service connected to enter into those services. And in Columbus, we have a clinic. We don't have a hospital, so they push people out to Ohio State or Riverside or St.
Matthew H. Zelnik [:Ann's, so there's a lot of good community care. But it's a way to get that earned benefit that you have as as a veteran to to use those those things that are out there and kinda maybe save a little money. But but, again, as we get older and things break, it's easier to track that if you're kinda in the VA system than trying to go back 50 years from why I twisted my ankle. Now I wanna get a VA service connected. That's that's a challenge. But the but the health care experience overall for the VA, especially in Columbus, it's it's very good.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:I'm sorry. There there there is a misunderstanding, I think, out there about our our our medical clinic, the VA medical clinic. You got if you're up in Cleveland, they've got a hospital, big complex. Mhmm. You're in Montgomery County, big complex. And and that is nice and that is great. The way that it was explained to me from the from the local VA here, and I've had a chance to kinda use some of the medical services, it's really the best of both worlds here because, you know, the the philosophy of the VA here was you've got Ohio State and Riverside and all these these capabilities. And and so rather than try to duplicate that, they have a clinic.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:And in many cases, they just do community, care. So they so they outsource it. So I had, shoulder surgery. This, you know, the shoulder surgery, they looked at it at the VA but they outsourced to one of the great providers here in Central Ohio for that for that care. And so, I like the fact that that, you know, you have you have the choice of all these great hospitals and medical clinics in Central Ohio that the VA takes takes advantage of.
Kenneth Wilson [:You you you you touched my question was gonna be, is that a regional thing that dictates, who gets, you know, the the the large complexes versus the clinics?
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:So they call them VISNs. And so when you say regional, I think there's about 14 in our VISN, in our region for for Chalmers, VA Medical Clinic, there's, I think, 14 or so counties that that participate in that. Can't obviously, I can't speak for the VA. But what what I believe happened was the the VA to a degree, it's always a challenge to staff some of the larger hospitals. And if you're in an area like Columbus, do you build a hospital and try to staff it and compete with the Ohio States and Riverside and and Nationwide Children and all those great hospitals? Or do you develop a clinic and then take advantage of and provide services there? So so that's kind of how I understand that there was a change in the VA's approach Mhmm. Over the last 20, 25 years. That'd be my best best answer.
Kenneth Wilson [:Okay. Okay. When someone is seeking financial assistance, what is how does the process start and how long does the process take for a person to get the assistance they need?
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:So there there's a second core competency. We talked about access or pathway to VA benefits. That's about half of what we do in general terms. The other one is temporary emergency financial assistance. And, last year alone, we provided over $4,000,000, in in temporary financial assistance. It was our largest
Kenneth Wilson [:that number over $4,000,000?
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:$4,000,000. And I'm gonna add that that was that was beyond our budgeted amount. And and the count and Franklin County is, in my words, a generous county, and we went back to Franklin County, I think, for around 7 or 800,000 additional dollars in that last quarter, as we plan with your team members on how to approach this. So, it's a very big part of of what we do is trying to provide that temporary financial assistance. So let me don't don't steal all this thunder. Let me let Matt kinda start on the process and approach. And I just wanna say we there has been a challenge. Mhmm.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:We went from a lobby model for a 100 years pre COVID Mhmm. To an appointment based model. Mhmm. And they both had pluses and minuses. Once we went virtual, and we've been back for full time for a couple of years now, full time in the office, seeing veterans in the office or virtually, their choice. But what we've avoided is all those turnaways we used to have. A lobby that would be full by 10 o'clock, people would have to come back the next day and it was full by 10:30. What we've avoided now is people that wouldn't bring the right paperwork like a w nine and Mhmm.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:And and they'd wait for an hour for an appointment. They'd get an appointment and they didn't have the right paperwork, they'd have to come back. And and so the appointment process itself has helped us see more veterans and get more done than we've ever been able to do in the past. The challenge is changing people's ways, getting getting away from that lobby based model. And quite frankly, we've had to grow our phone system and through the help of the county, we're growing our staff and our capacity. So I wanna I wanna put that out that we are working really hard to handle the 2,000 phone calls a month, the 1,000 online submissions a month. And as Matt said, there's about 10 service officers and maybe another 4 or 5 admin folks that work all of those requests. So if you'd hit the actual So so I yeah.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Our recommendation, probably the best way is
Matthew H. Zelnik [:to go visit our website at vets.franklincountyohio.gov. On our front landing page, there's a link to request services to request that appointment, kinda tell us what you need. There's a link to our financial assistance request form that kinda outlines all the documents we need, kinda gives us some biographical data. And then you can either email that, you can fax it, you can call us, and we'll and we'll put you in. We have a drop box here at Memorial Hall that you can drop that off. Once that once we have that request, we are generally scheduling about 2 to 3 business days out. We try to call people and say, we've received your request and review that and then kinda say, hey. We've reviewed your documents and what you provided, but we need additional information about maybe it's your pay stubs, maybe it's your lease, maybe it's the car payment coupon, but we kinda try to walk through and assess their need.
Matthew H. Zelnik [:And then hopefully, one of our challenges honestly is we call but not everybody likes to answer the phone right away. Mhmm. So so there's a little bit of delay that it it you may not get immediately back to to the person working your case, that may take us a couple days. But once we kinda get all that completed, it can take somewhere depending upon the complexity, 3, you know, 2, 3, maybe 4 weeks to kinda get everything that we need to make sure we can process the payments. But once we get all that, our staff has an approval level. The senior leader team of the agency has an approval level level. And if not, our 5 commissioners meet every Wednesday. So from a completed application, you're gonna know same day, next day, or within 7 business days of how we're gonna help you.
Matthew H. Zelnik [:And we would say, in a in a good news good bad news story, but about 98% of those that apply for financial assistance here get some or all, I'm probably still a year thunder, some or all of of what they asked for. And we're proud of that, but we know that really comes from a place that we have veteran the veteran community has some financial needs and we're kind of building that temporary bridge for them. So
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:it's our thunder. So let's let's let's talk about the numbers. We had over 6500 financial assistance requests last year. Over 6500. 98% plus of all of those requests got everything they asked for or at least a portion of what they asked for to the tune of $4,000,000 more than we've ever spent in the history of our agency on financial assistance. And so what are those things? You know? It sometimes it's rent. Sometimes it's past due rent. We used to see just, you know, pre COVID, we'd we'd handle about a month's rent.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Post COVID, they usually don't come to us and they're 2 or 3 months behind. It's mortgage payments. Used to be a mortgage payments. Now they're, you know, the trend is they're a couple of months behind in mortgage payments. So our our our numbers of rent are a little bit lower than we saw in our biggest years, but the amount we're spending
Kenneth Wilson [:Per case. Yes.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Yeah. It it might be your your rent down payment. It's car payment. It it's it's a car repair trying to keep you going to work. I mentioned $1,600,000, and I think I did in food vouchers. So $1,600,000 in food vouchers. A lot of those are based on, you know, an individual month to month circumstance, But we do have this program where we help, veterans, their widows, or their spouse
Matthew H. Zelnik [:Mhmm.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:That are at, about a 185% of the poverty level, and they've got some kind of fixed income. They're on a VA pension that's fixed. They're on social security disability, which is fixed, SSI, which is fixed. Mhmm. 90% of them are on that program. There's there's almost 500 veterans that we put on a program where we provide them $300 a $300 food voucher every month, 12 months at a time. And then once a year, we'll renew the process, see if their situation changed. That's new.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:We haven't done things like that in the past. But we have so many veterans that are struggling, especially with food. And to us, food's always an emergency. It's always I I showed you our our approach, you know, in within our the way we operate is temporary financial assistance and that's what we focus on, temporary. Well, we think black food's always a temporary emergency, so that's our approach.
Matthew H. Zelnik [:And
Kenneth Wilson [:you already my question was gonna be within the financial assistance area, where is the growth occurring greatest? And it's, out of $4,000,000, $1.6 million, it's food. Food. And the food, you know, the the cost of everything at the grocery store simply, you know, has increased for all of us, even though it's a positive sign that things are beginning to moderate in the market place on with food.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:And I I'd let the public know this. Yeah. I'd let the public know that that we do a lot of research. We use it as United States partner agriculture to figure out what our what our amount should be and and and and what's the appropriate, approach to providing nutrition. But, Ken, to your point, certainly in my lifetime as an adult, I haven't seen so many folks struggle with with a a basket that used to be full for this amount of money, and it's it's a half a basket now.
Kenneth Wilson [:You know what I mean? The work that you all are doing, I mean, it's just it's a blessing for so many, An individual that has a cell phone, has a laptop, has a iPad or whatever device, they can go to veterans.franklincountyohio.gov and sign up for services and sign up with an agency that's been able to help, I repeat, 98% of the individuals got what they want? Mhmm. How many how many places can say they gave people 98% of what they wanted. That's now that's taking care of your veterans right there. That's serving your veterans. And this and you do serve more than any time in the history of Franklin County. That $4,000,000 is the most you've spent
Matthew H. Zelnik [:in the
Kenneth Wilson [:history of spend on financial assistance. Financial assistance. Wow. That's that's how does you do you all benchmark and look in comparison? We're the largest county in the state. We have a a large number of veterans, as I stated in the beginning of this podcast. Are if you measured us up against another top 30 county, would we be still probably I would guess we still would be up there near the top or, for veterans benefits, provided.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Yeah. That's a great question. I hear you're gonna see the you know, I'm, now that I'm older, I try not to put my foot on my mouth too much. Because, you know, we we love our you know, we we we work with Union County, my peers there, and Delaware County, Licking County. They're all great agents. We all do the same thing. We just operate differently. We did 6,000 round trip taking the veteran, the veteran's spouse or widow for free by taxi, to and from their medical appointments.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:That's a specific benefit that's outlined in the Ohio revised code that we provide. Now the benefits to the to the veteran, we've extended it to the veteran's widow and to the veteran's spouse. If you're in Union County, they do a great job. They they're smaller. They use they have a couple of vans and they have drivers. We we couldn't do that 6,000 round trips. So we so we do operate very differently. There there is not a county in in Ohio that provides anywhere near the financial assistance support that we do.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Part of that might be because of our approach towards financial assistance, and I give part of that responsibility and credit to the county. I again, that Franklin County is a generous county when they're when they're trying to help their citizens. And that, you know, I think we reflect some of that that that that that approach. You know, the the rest of it is, you know, as as our 5 board members and our agencies, as we look at what we do, we've said, you know, again, well, I'll finish where I start. They raised a hand and swore an oath. And because of that, Franklin County and the citizens of Ohio, because it's a a high revised code law, decided we're gonna have locals helping locals, and and it's a county based program. Mhmm. And and that's what we do.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Whether it improves you know, for some veterans, you know, it it it saves the day. It prevents homelessness. It's it's a you know, what it does is really important. For other veterans, and this is, like, maybe an important point we haven't gotten to yet, for other veterans, it's a stopgap. It makes time and space for us to make a referral to one of those important partners. Because sometimes, it it's underemployment. It's a it's a mental health barrier. It's a physical health issue.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:It's a we have a financial coach on or a financial coach we use on staff here. It but there's an underlying issue that needs to be dealt with. Well, we keep the lights on. We keep food on the table. We'll keep the heater air conditioning going. And then we make that important referral to VA social workers, Southeast Medical Clinic, Lutheran Social Services, Catholics. I mean, you could just name these partners, that we work with. And we always say the social workers, they're the heroes because they're the ones that are working to try to either guide them to the medical or, mental health professionals or the jobs coaches or or encouraging these folks to find a better place in life.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Because Ken, 60, 65 percent of the veterans that we are helping are in and out of the poverty cycle all the time. And you don't solve a problem because you paid the rent one time.
Matthew H. Zelnik [:And and I think that adds to our our staff. We're not case managers. We're not social workers. Workers. So being able to refer out to our community partners is very important. I think we forgot to mention one of the benefits of coming here and working with our staff is that veteran benefits specialist is a veteran like we're serving so there's some commonality. They're gonna sit across virtually or in the office with someone that's a veteran. And all of all of our support staff, admin staff are family members of veterans if they're not veterans themselves.
Matthew H. Zelnik [:So that's the nice thing is we're part of that veteran community. We just don't serve veterans. We're part of the veteran community at large, and I think it's a it's a it's a unique setup in Ohio that's out there that it's really camaraderie between 2 veterans having a conversation about their story.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Mhmm. There there's one benefit one more good example of a benefit that that I think Franklin County was very early in the state of Ohio to offer. And I think it's still relatively unique, our approach. And it gets back to the cooperation with the county. We have a dental program. That dental program is open up to the veteran, the widow, or the spouse, all 3. If you're at 250% of the poverty level or less, we'll support you and find resources for you and pay for anything from filling to full dentures, uppers and lowers. Because we've realized we know the quality of not just the ability to eat Mhmm.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Or the ability to try to get a job when when you're really struggling with with issues with your teeth, but the overall health and quality of life, you know, really has a a center of gravity with one's
Kenneth Wilson [:teeth. Yeah.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:And so that dental program, you know, I I think it's it was maybe $350,000 last year. It's it ebbs and flows. But, it's one that we won.
Matthew H. Zelnik [:I remember when I
Kenneth Wilson [:remember when we brought it on online, and it was we talked about things such as the connection between dental health and heart health.
Matthew H. Zelnik [:Right. Right.
Kenneth Wilson [:Strong connection between the 2.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Yeah. So so we've you know, that that's probably a good example of a program. It's not a secret, but it's probably not out there, you know, as much as it could be. I I I Matt does a lot of data for us, and and our average age right now, it it fluctuates as I've been here 8 years ago from 61 to about 58a half. Right now, the average is About
Matthew H. Zelnik [:58a half.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:About 58a half. And and so while it's it's it's lowering a little bit, which is good, that means, hopefully, we're reaching some of the younger veterans now, it also tells you that that the the majority of our folks, you know, are in that part of their life when they're starting to age and and starting to need to need more services. Mhmm.
Kenneth Wilson [:Let's talk about celebrations. We got Memorial Day right around the corner. You know, everyone loves a parade. Everyone loves a parade. You know, it's the opportunity to ride in a convertible. Kids get candy. Everybody waves. It's a way to show, your patriotic pride or your support for a cause.
Kenneth Wilson [:Let's talk specifically about those holidays that we historically commemorate, veterans like Armed Forces Day and Veterans Day, and and don't leave out the Army Navy game. I'm gonna leave it as such. We we could we could talk a little bit about that. And and I wanna I wanna wrap up with talking about what makes the Army Navy game as special as any other collegiate football game that occurs in the United States of America. So we're gonna we wanna I want us to that's at the end of this question.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:So so, you know, let let's the 3 holidays real real quickly. So armed forces day is is all about celebrating those that are currently serving. And it started off as kinda like the the army had their own and navy had their own. And at some point, you know, the the department of defense, they all got smart and said, we we probably ought to just consolidate into one one day. And this this used to be I don't remember what they called it in navy. Was it fleet fleet week?
Matthew H. Zelnik [:It's fleet week.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:You know? And and so the idea is to kinda celebrate those folks that are currently serving and and whatever they do in service. And so, we just had a a big luncheon, MilVets, which is a veteran organization. It's been putting it on for, I think, 30 some years now. And and we brought in the space force as a special guest out of Wright Patterson, who talked a little bit about what what the space force is evolving in their mission. But so so that's armed forces day luncheon is if you got a neighbor that's currently serving, that's got a son that's or daughter that's overseas or serving anywhere, that's where you say, hey. Thank thank your son, your daughter, your husband, your wife for their service. Memorial Day, and then you can give me a break and you can hit Veterans Day, Memorial Day, you know, sometimes people I even said it myself one time, I was on an interview and and the guy said happy Memorial Day, and I said, well, happy Memorial Day to you too. And then, you know, it kinda hit me that it it it's not it didn't hit me with the meet what what it means.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:It just hit me that sometimes we're a little touchy about, you know, what's the intent. Memorial weekend is a nice celebration for everybody, and and we're glad of that. But we wanna remind everybody that Memorial Day is a remembrance time. It's a remembrance for any service member that served or that passed away while serving. No matter where it was, how it happened, Memorial Day is for those service members that passed away while in service. And so, you know, the the appropriate things that we talk about, I think both Matt and I have somewhere that we're we're speaking this week, and I think I'm at Greenlawn and you're Reynoldsburg. Reynoldsburg. And and and our talks will will be, about a little bit towards maybe those gold star families.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:It'll talk about, you know, remembering the the the courage it took and the sacrifice, that those families are still paying whether the the loved one was lost 5 years ago or or 40 years ago. Mhmm. And then finally, that the sacrifice was not without was not without purpose, and you started with the purpose. It's a it's a better, freer, always trying to get better country that we live in, and it's the greatest in the world. And so so that's what Memorial Day is for, is for those that that lost their life and service for their country.
Matthew H. Zelnik [:So when you think about Veterans Day, veteran looks at all those who wore the uniform but but no longer do. And and we have a great American tradition of the militias back where communities would come together to defend the town or or or serve the the nation at a higher calling. And then there was you know, after World War 2, we really didn't have that, you know, large standing army, which reduced because of the cold war. It it stayed up. So we wanna honor all those folks that come through. And I think it's very important because when you look at the numbers across the United States, less than 1% serve in uniform today. 1% of the population less than 1% of the population across the United States. So to take the time to recognize those that serve, that volunteer to serve, that say I I you know, there's no draft.
Matthew H. Zelnik [:There there's no compulsion, but there's a I wanna go either get a technical education or or or travel and see the world or or respond to the higher calling. It's it's a great opportunity if you think about Armed Forces Day in May, Memorial Day in May, looking forward to July 4th where we celebrate independence and then at the end, kind of as we transition to the fall, recognizing those veterans and veterans' families that allow those freedoms to continue. And and as a community, I don't think we can ever forget that, you know, the luxuries and the and the and the benefits that we enjoy today, they don't they're not free. Right? They do they do come at awesome. It's it's nice to recognize.
Kenneth Wilson [:And thank you for throwing in the fireworks because I I left out fireworks. Everybody loves fireworks.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Let let me let me pay forward to my brothers and sisters that are still serving, you know, with kind of this advertisement. You know? And Matt Matt and I are in the same boat. You know? Both had long careers. The military was part of, provided for, or paid for 3 different college degrees for me, opportunities for for for my family and I, a chance to grow in a way, like you said, not not like not a 4 year degree growth, but just the having to go somewhere, be in charge of something, figure something out, do it under an adverse conditions. And and our recruiting numbers are hurting right now as a nation. And so, I never I try to never fail what whatever speech I give on on Veterans Day. You know, it's I I try to mention that that, you know, if your moms and dads think about nodding your head north and south, if
Matthew H. Zelnik [:your
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:son or daughter says, hey. I think I wanna serve because this is what you're looking at. You know, we we don't walk on water. Matt probably a little more than that.
Matthew H. Zelnik [:2 look good, though. I think
Kenneth Wilson [:I think you guys should do make a recruitment video and say we both had long, long careers
Matthew H. Zelnik [:in in the military and because you both look good. I'm serious.
Kenneth Wilson [:You both look good. I wouldn't have
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:careers. 34 years, man. 33 years.
Kenneth Wilson [:Hey, you guys wear it well.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Well, thank you. We appreciate that.
Kenneth Wilson [:Army Navy game. Wow.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:You know, my, my Army Navy story, if you'll give me the moment to tell it, it it you know? So my dad was Navy during the Korean War. I I'm I'm obviously Army. It's hard for me to tell this story. You know, we we, we we we always we always bet $5 on the game. And and as dad aged, that's when the hats came out. You know, he didn't wear the army hat or the navy hat when I was young. And but as you start to look back in your life, I see now that's when you start doing those things. And and so we'd always bet $5 on the game.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:And and, and I started to care for mom and dad along with my my brother and sister. And, and I'd take dad to all his appointments, whether it was doctor and just whatever it was. And so I couldn't get anywhere without dad saying, oh, let me meet my son, the colonel. And he always wanted to tell that story. And I would always, dad, they were here for your knee. We're here for your blood pressure. You know? And and and I'd literally probably 50 or 60 times, I I would, you know, dilute that, downplay that, and and try to get dad back on track. So when dad was in his final days, he had, he hadn't spoken for, I think about 2 days now.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:And so then the hospice nurse walked in and and she said, oh, the colonel's here. And I so I told her that story again. I said, he's said it all these years. And I'd always downplayed it and I said it wasn't till he's on this stage of his life where I realized it was never about me. It was about his son that he was proud of.
Kenneth Wilson [:Yeah.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:You know? And and but here I am, and I said, you know, I I said to him, I I said to the nurse, I said, if I could hear him say I love you one more time, I said, I'd cheer for Navy. She hollered at me, and she said, turn around, and Eddie mouthed.
Kenneth Wilson [:He said, wow. Wow.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:So I cheer for army or excuse me, I cheer for Navy.
Kenneth Wilson [:That is that is so touching. I'm so glad you would share that with our listeners. I mean, that is real. That is what life and as a sport and love and all of that. Director Bramlish, thank you for sharing that. I think that is a a a lifetime.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:It is. Yeah. Mhmm. I was very lucky. I unlike many of the folks that we helped, I won the parent lottery. I had both there, You know? And so many of our great veterans, they had a rougher they had a rougher time of it, and and so I'm forever thankful. Build me out here, would you?
Matthew H. Zelnik [:So I think you go back to why it's important. It's it it continues to build connective tissue between our service academies, our military community, and and those that we serve. And and I think all of that that goes on in in, you know, where where they play the games and the pomp and the circumstance really just shows that, you know, because that's that's the next generation coming into active service, that the community is behind them. And it is just a demonstration of how, having been all over the world, been in a lot of different countries, we are unique. Not always right, not always the best, you know, not always, you know, getting the first from, you know, we're not perfect as the United States. Yeah. But push comes to shove. We our our citizens support the military.
Kenneth Wilson [:Yeah. I mean, it's it's like no other scene when you see all of the all of the the, you know, dress and uniform and the entire stadium. Yep. One side army, one is you just don't, you know, that's different than when than wearing, you know, a sweatshirt with your alma mater. We all proud of wherever we went, but that just something special to see. All the folks flown in
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:Yeah.
Kenneth Wilson [:And it's and especially during times where it seems like there's so much polarization. And even though that game means so much, they're still all Americans and they're still one of the branches of the service defending defending freedom at the end of the day. But on that day, though, they land some hits on each other.
Matthew H. Zelnik [:That's what I'm saying. Some hits on each other.
Kenneth Wilson [:That's on that day, though.
Matthew H. Zelnik [:You know, we, you
Kenneth Wilson [:know, we
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:talk about alright.
Kenneth Wilson [:We talk about
Matthew H. Zelnik [:Buckeyes against
Kenneth Wilson [:Wolverine, but for them that day and it's I I really also like the fact that it gets his proper due because it's it's not all the other Right. Collegiate football going on that day. So it it gives
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:them it
Kenneth Wilson [:gives them their day. That's why I would I love and I would just I visualize the Army Navy game being played in arguably the greatest college football stadium in the Horseshoe. Yeah. And before my career is done, somehow, some way, I'll come out of retirement if I could be a part of bringing the Army Navy game to Columbus, Ohio.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:We've got that step in the right direction with the, with the the new leader of the Ohio State University, you know, with, with with his background in the navy and and and and significant leadership, I would I would think we'd have someone with with open and willing ears be excited to talk about, you know, potentially bringing because, Eddie, you're right. That it's it's it that that game is starting to travel. And and it you know, it's a big investment. But to bring that here I I was on the field during Ohio's so I took my dad to the Ohio State Navy game back in 2009 where we barely beat him. But I should we where Ohio State barely beat them. I watched it.
Kenneth Wilson [:Yeah. It was tight.
Robert (Buck) Bramlish [:It was tight, man. And then I my my nephew got me tickets on the field for the Iowa State Army game. And I just remember just, you know literally, the guys that parachuted in, I I mean, I I could have taken 5 steps and touched one of them from where I was standing. And and there's just something about the courage and commitment and sacrifice that our services make to, to to to to to to serve in in in this great country. And, and Ohio State gave them great due. Both games gave them great due and respect, and and so, I'm with you. If the Army Navy game could ever get here if anybody can do it, we're looking at you. It
Kenneth Wilson [:is. It's it's on my list. Director Bramlish is on my list. I wanna be a part of making it happen. I I wanna give just due to this Talk Of The County, Memorial Day weekend podcast by simply saying to our residents that, let's take every opportunity, not just this this weekend, but every day, to say thanks for your service for all our the men and women that that serve, our country and have served our country. Thank you. Thank you.
