Charlie Breitrose
Watertown Veteran’s Services Officer Mark Comeiro hopes to help more veterans get benefits.
Mark Comeiro, Watertown’s new office of Veteran’s Services Officer and the long-time Navy man, hopes to find to veterans in town who might not even know they can get benefits.
He arrived in February and has fallen in love with his new role.
“For me it was a no brainer,” Comeiro said. “I have been here a few months, the community is top notch. They welcomed me.”
He has been coordinating services for veterans of all ages, working with local veterans groups and planning for the Memorial Day Parade and other observances from May 20-25.
He works with World War II veterans and their families, a few Korean War vets and a lot of Vietnam War veterans.
“My biggest thing is trying to reach out to the (veterans) of recent theaters – Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom,” Comeiro said. “I want to reach out, and let them know I’m here. A lot of them don’t know what’s available to them – what benefits they can get.”
He also hopes to help veterans who qualify for Chapter 115 benefits, which helps low-income vets.
“We have 27 veterans on Chapter 115, and I would like that number to grow,” Comeiro said.
While this is his first post as a veteran’s services officer, Comeiro comes in with experience. During his 20 year career in the Navy he served on four submarines and went on eight, 6-month deployments. He served on the West Coast from San Diego and on the East Coast from New London, Conn., and Kings Bay, Ga. He was on a sub sailing through the Suez Canal when the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks occurred, so they headed back to the Persian Gulf.
The last five years in the service, however, he worked in human resources.
“When I was working on my own transition I saw this position was open and I gave it a shot,” Comeiro said.
He was born and raised in Woburn and still lives there. Comeiro said the towns are similar in size, and in their appreciation and pride in their veterans.
Comeiro works in Town Hall five days a week (Monday and Wednesday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and Tuesday 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m.). He can be reached at 617-972-6416 or at mcomeiro@watertown-ma.com.