Earl Fontenot - Graduate

As the Veteran and Military Liaison in the district office of Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle, some of Earl Fontenot’s dayswere roughly what you’d expect – a Purple Heart Ceremony in the morning, a meeting with the local small business association to advocate for veteran entrepreneurs over lunch, a crateful of casework in the aftern

A former E5 sergeant gunner in both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Fontenot earned his current position as a fellow in the Wounded Warrior Program. He started in September 2011. He says adjusting from the military to social work took some time and effort, especially when it came to his casework.  He stated, “It’s one thing to know how to do the casework, but actually being the caseworker? You have to have a different mindset."

Fontenot found that aspect of his job among its most fulfilling saying, “When I get to call a vet and say, ‘Hey, we finally got you your Purple Heart’ or ‘I just got a letter from the VA and they approved your claim - you’re going to be taken care of for the rest of your life,’ It’s just a great feeling."

In  his position, Fontenot oversaw about 80 cases in the district. One of the most challenging involved obtaining a duplicate Congressional Medal of Honor for the family of a deceased World War II veteran.

Fontenot, a native of Broomfield, Colorado, took a job as a manager with a commercial construction supplier when he completed his military service. But he said watching a fellow vet struggle with PTSD inspired him to apply for the Wounded Warrior Program.   He was able to help make the lives of former service men and women a little easier. They helped him, too. Fontenot stated, “When I get to establish that rapport with them, they know I’ve walked in their shoes and it’s like my own personal therapy.”

Following  Congresswoman Buerkle's lost election, Earl Fontenot accepted a position as the Operations Manager for Clear Path for Veterans, a non-profit organization dedication to assisting veterans and their families.