Contra Costa County staff are holding an event Wednesday morning in Martinez to help local veterans more easily access government benefits they earned in connection with their military service.
Operation Documentation, scheduled from 8 a.m. to noon in the clerk-recorder-registrar's office at 555 Escobar St., will help veterans and their families access a comprehensive overview of benefits they might be qualified to receive.
County staff will also be on site to provide information about job opportunities and potential tax breaks.
There are more than 54,000 veterans residing in Contra Costa County, but less than 150 of them have recorded their discharge documents, also known as a DD-214, over the last decade. Last year, however, 60 veterans registered their paperwork at a previous iteration of Operation Documentation.
Veterans can also store their discharge documents at the county clerk-recorder-registrar's office for safekeeping, free of charge. County staff said these documents frequently get misplaced or destroyed, but are important when vets or their families try to access benefits or medical insurance.
"These benefits may save them money, time, and may improve their quality of life," Veterans Service Officer Nathan Johnson said in a statement.
