Meade County has emerged as one of South Dakota’s top counties for veteran compensation, with benefits more than doubling over the past two years. According to a national report from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Meade County veterans received over $27 million in direct benefits in 2024—ranking fourth statewide behind Pennington, Minnehaha, and Lincoln counties.
Veterans Service Officer Sean Henderson has played a key role in the increase. Since taking office in 2023, he’s helped veterans across multiple counties access more than $67 million in benefits, including pensions, disability payments, and survivor support. With one quarter left in 2025, his office has already facilitated $35 million in claims.
Henderson attributes much of the growth to the 2022 Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, which expanded eligibility for veterans exposed to toxic substances.
A veteran himself, Henderson has assisted thousands—1,622 in 2024 and nearly 1,400 so far this year and says the most rewarding part of his job is delivering life-changing news to families.
Henderson encourages all veterans who believe they were exposed to toxins to seek care and file claims, noting that retroactive payments can be substantial.
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