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(Las Vegas) The Nevada Department of Veterans Services hired three new Veteran Service Officers (VSOs) last month. If you didn’t already know, VSOs can assist veterans and their families in a number of ways and their services are free.  
 
These individuals receive special training to become accredited so they can connect you to benefits earned through your military service including; compensation, education, vocational and rehabilitation and employment, home loans, life insurance, pension, health care, as well as burial benefits.  
 
They can help you write and submit your benefits claims to the Veterans Administration (VA). They will help you gather the information that supports your claim. Once the claim is filed, they will help you track your claim through the system. They can also help you file appeals for denied claims.  
 
Las Vegas is Nevada’s biggest city and it continues to grow. Even North Las Vegas and Henderson are more populated than the biggest city in northern Nevada, Reno. The outlying areas, such as Henderson, Mesquite as well as Pahrump are also growing. What’s more, southern Nevada’s climate and atmosphere bring lots of retirees to the area too. The new VSOs will ensure southern Nevada veterans and their families are well served.  
 
The three new members of the NDVS team are all veterans. Here is a short introduction to the three: 
 
Lennora Valles is a Navy veteran and a Nevada Veterans Advocate. She is the Southern Nevada Women Veterans Coalition Founder and President. Her work experience includes being a Case Manager for a law firm, Social Security Administration Social Insurance Specialist with the Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons. She has an Associate Degree from UNLV. 
 
Joseph Citaldi is a Navy veteran. He worked for U.S.VETS as a V.I.P. Case-Manager. He was an Administrative Assistant for the Las Vegas Vet Center. He also has a Master of Science (MS) from Utah State University. 
 
Joseph Pratt is US Air Force veteran. He is currently with NVAir National Guard. He has a long history working in security serving in several different roles including leadership, as well as serving as a Family Assistance Specialist. He has Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Columbia College. 
 
All three came on board with NDVS on January 29, 2018. If you haven’t had a review of your benefits in a while, you may want to talk to a VSO to see if you are missing out on benefits you have earned. Either stop by the office at 6900 North Pecos Road, Room 1C237, located at the VA Hospital in North Las Vegas or give them a call at (702) 224-6025 OR 791-9000, Ext. 46025. No appointment is required.  
 
Click here for VSO contact information for offices outside the Las Vegas area.