Serving those who served: Matthew Rongstad takes on a vital role in Wadena County
- Trinity Gruenberg
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
by Trinity Gruenberg
Wadena County welcomed their new Veterans Service Officer, Matthew Rongstad, at the end of October.
Rongstad, a native of Woodbury, has lived in White Bear Lake for the past few years. He was eager to leave the city when he discovered the opening for the veterans service officer position.
“It’s been very gratifying to help navigate the often complicated VA process,” said Rongstad. “It can be quite the challenge for veterans and their families, dealing with benefits and the bureaucratic red tape of the VA.”
He spent the winter living with friends in Verndale and has recently moved into a home in Henning. Rongstad served in the Air Force as an F-16 crew chief, maintaining fighter jets, for nearly four years. He was stationed at Hill Air Force Base in Utah and was deployed for seven months in Bagram, Afghanistan.
“Working in Afghanistan felt like Groundhog Day, with 12-hour shifts repeating every day. Then you return home and do the same,” explained Rongstad. While he misses aspects of his previous role, he is accustomed to working long hours and is excited about his new position as a veterans service officer.
“This job has peaks and valleys. There are times when there’s a line out the door, and other times when you’re hoping someone will call,” he said with a smile.
His first priority was familiarizing himself with the office. He trained alongside previous officer Dave Anderson and Todd County Veterans Service Officers Pete Berscheit and Teresa Sorenson. Rongstad has worked to become accredited in various areas, including the VFW, American Legion, DAV, and the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, to better assist veterans and access their information....
