But that veteran is likely to leave with much more.

Not only does their visit connect them with another veteran, but that connection could pave the way to receiving life-altering benefits, whether it be access to health care, compensation, or a housing adaptation for a disability.

Knowing he can be a key link to that transformation has helped fuel Shinn’s passion for serving veterans the past seven years as executive director of Veterans Affairs for Calhoun County.

“I think I get the most satisfaction when a veteran gets access to a service that truly changes their life in a positive way,” said Shinn.

-Messenger photo by Deanna Meyer
Rich Shinn, executive director of veterans affairs for Calhoun County, stands in his office in Rockwell City.

Shinn has plenty of reasons to care about veterans.

A self-described “career military person,” he served for 20 years in the United States Air Force.

Inspired by his grandfather, who served in the Army Air Corps in World War II, Shinn enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1988 and trained to be security police. Over the course of his career, he served in multiple locations during the first Gulf War, as well as Bosnia, Somalia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I didn’t miss a single conflict in my career.”

He retired from the military in 2008, deciding it was time to make his family a priority. He and his wife Mindy have two children, Trevor, 23, and Erin, 18. The couple settled in Rockwell City to be closer to his wife’s parents. Mindy is a Rockwell City native; Shinn is originally from Pleasantville.

In addition to the 20 hours a week Shinn spends in the Veterans Affairs office, he works full-time as the assistant police chief for Rockwell City. He also previously served on the Manson Police Department.

Of his Veterans Affairs role, he said, “This was a fitting job for me.”

Calhoun County currently has roughly 750 veterans, though that number is declining as more veterans age.

The primary purpose of the Veterans Affairs office is to educate military members, veterans and their families regarding the federal, state and local benefits available to them. Those benefits range from assistance with rent and utility expenses at the county level to free license plates and financial savings at the state level. At the federal level, veterans can take advantage of education benefits, life insurance, disability compensation and more.

On a typical day, Shinn’s duties might consist of answering a veteran’s questions over the phone, piecing together a disability claim or working on a pension claim for a widow who lives in a nursing home.

Iowa leads the nation in veterans services, Shinn said, and is unique in that it has a nationally accredited Veterans Affairs office in each of its 99 counties.

Shinn said that an Iowa law requiring veterans to visit their local office to have the veteran designation added to their driver’s license “really opened the door of communication.” In that one visit, Shinn can help with that simple request and potentially connect them with much greater benefits or services.

“The amount of programs and benefits that are out there are beyond what the average person would know,” he said.

Shinn helped one veteran file a claim for hearing loss due to military service. At the time, he and his wife lived very modestly. The benefits they received not only helped with his medical expenses but, along with another coincidental change in circumstances, helped upgrade their standard of living.

To maintain national accreditation status, Shinn must complete 16 credit hours of training each year, often during his vacation time from law enforcement.

Between his two jobs, Shinn averages about 63 hours a week, often going long stretches without a day off. When he does get time away, he generally chooses to spend it with his family.

In the end, what makes all the hours worthwhile is seeing veterans get the help they need.

“I guess if I had a message to deliver to the community — not just my community but any community — is if you have a question, go to your local office. You might go there for something very small, but you might leave there with a life-changing benefit.

“We do license plates and we do veteran on your driver’s license. Those things are great, but they’re not life changing. You’d be surprised how many of those (smaller issues) lead to something much bigger.”