VETERAN TO VETERAN
This article was published in the August 23, 2025 issue.
Gordon Greene, Veteran Services Officer, loves his job. And he wants every veteran in Mono and Inyo county to know he exists. His role? To connect veterans with the benefits they deserve, completely free of charge.
According to the California Department of Veterans Affairs, there are an estimated 1,300 veterans in Mono County and 1,100 in Inyo. Greene told The Sheet that since January 1, 2025, he’d processed 24 complete VA claims in Mono County and 126 of these claims in Inyo. 13 claims are pending a decision in Mono and 50 are pending in Inyo. While these numbers indicate that people are utilizing the office, Greene believes there’s more work to be done.
Greene has a deep familial connection to service. His father was in the Navy.
“He had a lot of great stories. Ever since I was a kid, I just knew that I was going to be in the Navy like my dad was.”
Greene served as Navy hospital corpsman in Brunswick Maine from 1995 to 1998. His son has served in the Air Force for four years. He’s choosing to not re-enlist; Greene is currently helping him set up a discharge claim.
Greene started the job in 2021. So far, he’s struggled with outreach. He said he’d tried social media, put an ad in newspapers (though not The Sheet until now), and posted flyers for upcoming outreach events. He usually hosts these in rural locations like Benton, Independence, and Death Valley. He considers it a success if one or two people show up.
“I’ve had a couple events in Bridgeport that were advertised and I thought for sure that they were going to be big. I had bought food. It was kind of a bummer,” Greene commented in an interview with The Sheet last Tuesday. Only one person came.
“I just want veterans to know that I’m here, and not only am I here, I’m willing, I want to help,” he continued.
Greene wondered if veterans are hesitant to reach out because they don’t know what’s available to them. He knows what this is like. Until the 48 year old former Navy hospital corpsman started his current job, he didn’t know about benefits like monetary compensation for his medical coverage, or education support for his children.
“If you’re 0% or more disabled from the VA, you’re eligible for a college fee waiver. All three of my kids could have benefited from that, if I had known that was a program. But I just had no idea,” Greene said.
He spoke about the Chapter 35 benefits, which pay for books and also gives money for college, and GI Bill eligibility, which is an education benefit for veterans who served after 9/11. He added that there are additional benefits for spouses, depending on the severity of their veteran partner’s disabilities. He emphasized that these benefits are not available unless filed for with the VA. Part of Greene’s job is to help people file these claims.
Greene also stated that while his office does not explicitly offer mental health services, he does make referrals. In cases of emergency, Greene will connect a struggling veteran and the Reno VA.
“We’ve had a few mental health emergencies here. Because we’re rural, we don’t have a VA clinic or anything like that. So you have to contact the closest one, [in Reno],” he said.
In order to be available to as many people as he can, Greene travels throughout Mono and Inyo county during the week. He has one main office in Bishop. On Wednesdays, he drives to Lone Pine, and sets up in a shared office. He spends Thursdays in Mono County. He’ll often meet people in Walker at Walker Coffee Company, a local veteran owned coffee shop. When he’s in Mammoth, he meets his clients at the county office building.
“I wouldn’t say it’s hard to cover both counties, but I can’t be everywhere all the time,” Greene expressed. “When some people call my office and I’m in Mono County that day, you can sometimes hear a little frustration that I’m not picking up my phone.”
Despite its challenges, Greene says this is the best job he’s ever had.
“It’s just the best group of people on the planet. I love coming to work every day.”
If you or a loved one could benefit from the Veterans Services Office in Mono and Inyo county, please call (760)873-7850 or email ggreene@inyocounty.us.
