Smith County, TX
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Veteran Services Officer Michael Roark
Michael Roark is from Chapel Hill, graduated from Robert E. Lee High School and was a Wills Point Police Officer before serving in the National Guard. He went on active duty in 1988, serving as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army, and serving in Operation Just Cause in Panama, before he was medically retired in 1992.
After his military service, Roark moved to Sweden from 1995 to 2012, where he served as a lieutenant for the Swedish National Prisons Bureau, and a K-9 handler.
He moved back to Tyler in 2012, and began working as an Assistant Veterans Service Officer for Smith County. In 2014, Mike took over as Veterans Service Officer and as the Veterans Court Program Director.
Location and Hours of Operation
The Smith County Veterans Services Office is located at Camp V
3212 West Front Street
Tyler, TX 75702
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday (closed for lunch 12-1 p.m.)
Main Number: (903) 590-2950
Fax: (903) 526-5255
For more information about Camp V, visit: www.campvtyler.org
Purpose and Duties
The purpose of the Smith County Veteran Services Office is to assist veterans and their survivors and help them deal with the often confusing and overwhelming task of completing the correct forms/applications and collecting the appropriate documentation to support a claim for benefits. Veteran Services Officers interview and advise clients on entitlements; help in filing service connected disability claims; answer and research inquiries regarding medical, educational, home loans and other benefits; assist clients in completing federal and state forms and in filing appeals with the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs. They also serve as a liaison with veterans' organizations and ensure compliance with all federal and state laws.
Veterans Assisting Veterans
The Smith County Veteran Services Office is not part of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The staff is certified and/or accredited by Texas Veterans Commission with cooperation from the Regional Veterans Affairs Office. The staff consists of veterans who served this country with honor. The staff engages in multiple trainings conducted by Texas Veterans Commission, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other recognized organizations throughout the year. We are advocates established by the authority of Chapter 434 of the Texas Government Code. We are paid for from taxpayer funds by the Smith County, not the federal government. There is no fee for services provided by this office. Generally, no individual or organization may charge a fee for help with filing an initial application for benefits. The exception to this rule is under the third-party exemption of 38 CFR § 14.636 (d).
By the authority of Chapter 434 of the Texas Government Code, the Smith County Commissioners Court established the Veteran Services Office as an office of advocacy to assist veterans and/or their survivors in obtaining entitled benefits from the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the State of Texas. The Veteran Services Office cooperates with local government agencies as well as non-government service agencies to assist clients in obtaining needed specialized services.
Important Links
Mission Statement
(Quoted from Chapter 434, Subchapter B, Section 434.035, Texas Government Code)
"An officer [county veterans service officer and staff] shall aid any county resident who served in the armed forces or nurses corps of the United States, and any orphan or dependent of the person, to prepare, submit, any present any claim against the United States or a state for benefits to which the person may be entitled under United States or a state for benefits to which the person may be entitled under United States or state law. The officer shall defeat all unjust claims that come to the officer's attention."