Subject: Request for Immediate Action Regarding Cheatham County Veterans Service Office

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to formally request the resignation or dismissal of Mrs. Angela Hunt, Director of the Cheatham County Veterans Service Office (VSO), due to a series of concerning practices and behaviors that have negatively impacted veterans in our community.

As the National President of the United States Veterans Alliance (USVA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been serving veterans and their families in Cheatham County since 2010, I have become increasingly aware of the serious issues surrounding the management and operations of the Cheatham County VSO under Mrs. Hunt’s leadership. These issues, detailed below, demonstrate a clear need for change to ensure that veterans receive the support and services they rightfully deserve.

1. Discouragement from Filing Claims: Numerous veterans have reported that they were discouraged from filing claims by the VSO, particularly those who are already rated 100% disabled. Mrs. Hunt reportedly informed veterans that no further claims would be filed unless the issue was life-threatening. This stance is not only legally unfounded but also denies veterans access to additional benefits they may be entitled to, such as Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) under Title 38, U.S. Code (USC) 1114, and Title 38, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 3.350.

2. Failure to Process Claims: It has been brought to my attention that claims submitted through the Cheatham County VSO were either not filed at all or were significantly delayed. This failure to act is a direct violation of the duty to assist veterans in their claims process and undermines the trust that veterans place in this office.

3. Hostile and Unprofessional Conduct: During a visit to the VSO, I experienced firsthand the unprofessional and hostile behavior of Mrs. Hunt. When questioned about the discouragement of filing claims, Mrs. Hunt responded with inappropriate language and aggression. Such conduct is unbecoming of a public servant and is far from the standard expected of a Veterans Service Officer.

4. Discrimination Against USVA Members: It has been reported that Mrs. Hunt and her staff have been instructed not to assist members of the USVA because our organization is not recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This exclusionary policy is discriminatory and unjust, as it unfairly targets our members, virtually all of whom are 100% disabled veterans or higher benefit awards.

5. Political Interference: There are indications that the VSO’s operations are subject to political influence, which has led to biased and arbitrary decision-making. Veterans have been forced to seek assistance from neighboring counties to avoid these issues, which is unacceptable and contrary to the mission of the VSO.

Conclusion and Request for Action: Given the gravity of these issues, the United States Veterans Alliance, representing over 100 members, requests the immediate resignation or dismissal of Mrs. Angela Hunt from her position as Director of the Cheatham County Veterans Service Office. Furthermore, we ask that the remaining staff be reeducated, retrained, and tested to ensure they meet the standards required by their positions. We also request the implementation of a strict “hands-off” policy to prevent any further political interference in the operations of the VSO.

Failure to address these concerns may leave us with no choice but to pursue a formal investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) into the unlawful and biased practices currently in place at the Cheatham County VSO.

We will follow up this request with a petition signed by the membership of the USVA, as well as concerned veterans from Cheatham County and beyond, who may require the services of this office in the future. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. We trust that you will take the necessary steps to rectify the situation and restore the integrity of the Cheatham County Veterans Service Office.

Sincerely,

James M. Cripps

National President, United States Veterans Alliance

Sp 5, U.S. Army 1967-1970

Personal Statement of James M. Cripps

My name is James M. Cripps, a Vietnam-era U.S. Army veteran with an R-2 combat-related disability rating. I currently serve as the National President of the United States Veterans Alliance (USVA), a veterans service organization dedicated to supporting veterans and their families.

At our USVA meetings in July and August 2024, numerous veterans approached me with serious complaints about the Cheatham County Veterans Service Office (VSO). As both a veteran and the National President of USVA, I felt obligated to investigate to ensure the integrity of the claims process for Cheatham County and other qualified veterans.

It has come to my attention that under the direction of Mrs. Angela Hunt, the Cheatham County VSO has been actively discouraging veterans from filing claims. Additionally, claims that were prepared at her office were either delayed or, in some cases, not submitted at all to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Following our August 2024 meeting, I personally visited Mrs. Hunt’s office to address these concerns. My primary question to Mrs. Hunt was simple: “Why are veterans being discouraged from filing additional claims?”

Mrs. Hunt informed me that her “bosses” had instructed her not to file any new claims for veterans who were already rated 100% disabled unless the issue was life-threatening. I then asked how, under such a policy, a 100% rated veteran would be able to access the twelve higher levels of Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) available under Title 38, U.S. Code, Section 1114, and Title 38, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 3.350.

I further questioned Mrs. Hunt about reports that veterans had been discouraged from filing for an increase due to the fear of their benefits being reduced. While I understand that any new claim opens a veteran’s record for review, this process cannot be used as a tool to threaten veterans with reductions, especially those who have held their ratings for five, ten, or more years without clear and unmistakable error.

During this conversation, Mrs. Hunt also disclosed that she and her accredited officers had been instructed not to assist myself or any other member of the USVA because our organization is not recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This discriminatory exclusion of USVA members is unjust, particularly given that nearly all USVA members are 100% disabled veterans or those with higher special monthly compensation benefit tiers. These benefits are critical as they include quality of life benefits such as adaptive housing grants and other awards that allow a disabled veteran to feel a more normal quality of life.

During our interaction, Mrs. Hunt’s behavior became hostile and unprofessional. She began shouting, using offensive language, and then was joined by another staff member, Mrs. Caulette, who appeared to support her outburst. At one point, Mrs. Hunt used inappropriate language including the F-word, and at that point I responded by stating that her language had become offensive. She then asked me to leave the office, which I did.

The expected conduct of a Veterans Service Officer (VSO) is clearly outlined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Mrs. Hunt’s actions, language, and overall demeanor fall far short of these expectations. Her arbitrary and biased policies directly violate Title 38 of the U.S. Code and are unsupported by law or regulation.

The USVA is composed entirely of veterans who are rated 100% P&T or higher, and it is evident that we have been unfairly targeted by Mrs. Hunt’s office policies. As an example, our organization has been deliberately excluded from events such as the Veterans Coffee event on October 15th at the McCullough Community Room and a photo opportunity at the Veterans Park.

I believe that political interference is at play in the Cheatham County Veterans Service Office. Despite having three taxpayer-funded, accredited service officers, Cheatham County veterans are being forced to seek assistance outside the county to avoid the biased and arbitrary policies imposed by Mrs. Hunt’s office. This is unacceptable and a disservice to veterans, spouses, dependents, widows, and caregivers who rely on the proper handling of their earned federal disability benefits.James M. Cripps
National President, United States Veterans Alliance
Sp 5, U.S. Army 1967–1970

All of this is backed up with not less than eight individual veterans statements as to how they were not treated fairly by the Cheatham County Veterans Service Office and Mrs. Angela Hunt.