‘Above and beyond’: After serving in Iraq, he now serves fellow veterans at home

Army veteran Nate Johnson finds peace in helping others who served.

In his role as assistant superintendent of the Kane County Veterans Assistance Commission, Johnson often meets veterans who are at some of the lowest points in their lives. The goal of the commission is to provide any assistance possible.

That can involve assisting with filing benefits claims, getting treatment, navigating the court systems or just listening to the veterans’ stories, Johnson said.

“Our goal is to eliminate red tape and break down barriers to make it as seamless as possible,” he said. “We are the middleman. We’re the person that is the advocate for the veteran in a tough situation.”

Kane County VAC Superintendent Jake Zimmerman described Johnson as “a veteran’s veteran,” adding that everything he does is about helping others.

“Nate is a great guy who is very passionate for helping veterans,” Zimmerman said. “He’s just all-around somebody who cares about people. Once we understood that about him, it was a natural fit for him to come work with us.”

Originally from Milwaukee, Johnson joined the Army on Sept. 18, 2008.

By January 2009, he was in basic training, and within four months, he was deployed on his first tour in Iraq. He said his first two years of service seemed to fly by.

“It was just kind of a calling,” said Johnson, who now lives in Sycamore. “Everything happened in the blink of an eye. … The first two years were a blur.”

He served five years on active duty and three more in the reserves.

Looking back, Johnson said his rapid deployment was a blessing.

“It was just thrown at us, and I think that was actually a great benefit because it made you grow up in the military really, really quick,” he said. “Going to Iraq made you really learn to be accountable for everything around you. I was taught a lot of different leadership skills that I may not have been able to get in college.”

Johnson said the hardest part of being deployed overseas was the distance from home.

“There were many times in the Army that were very difficult,” Johnson said. “The hardest part is when you realize you’re away from everything you’ve ever known, and your support network is nowhere around.”

Johnson said that isolation, however, led to his platoon becoming his second family, many of whom he is still in touch with.

“The people you are around every day turn into your support network, and those people’s families intrinsically become your family as well,” he said.

After his tour in Iraq, Johnson transitioned into a role as a military police officer and was stationed at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, working in a maximum-security prison for his remaining two years of active duty.

After his discharge, Johnson was stationed as a Reserve officer with the 822nd Military Police Company in Arlington Heights for three years.

Johnson said the main thing the Army taught him was how to hold himself accountable to many different standards. He said being thrust into leadership roles early in his military career taught him time management, commitment to tasks and to do things the right way, which became invaluable skills when he returned to civilian life.

Johnson said he knew he wanted to help people. He found the opportunity with the VAC by chance at an internship fair, joining as an intern in 2015 to do community outreach.

The main function of the Kane County VAC is to help local veterans file disability and pension claims, including any research and writing that may be needed, to ensure they receive what is owed to them.

“We are a one-stop shop for any kind of veteran issues,” Johnson said. “What we like to take pride in is that when a veteran comes in, any veteran issues they have, we take care of.”

Johnson said the VAC has helped Kane County veterans secure more and more funding every year since he started. The office secured $9.5 million in new benefits last year and is on pace to set another record this year.

In 2018, Johnson was promoted to assistant superintendent and helped create the first veterans treatment court in Kane County. He considers his work on the court one of the greatest achievements of his career.

The Veterans Treatment Court is a comprehensive program that allows veterans in the criminal justice system to undergo a two-year probation program to reduce recidivism.

“It is not easy. They have to go through many different treatments, commit to sobriety, pay all of their fines and be employed,” Johnson said.

Graduates of the program often get their charges dropped upon completion, and Johnson said the graduation ceremony is one of his favorite parts of the job.

The program held a graduation ceremony Sept. 22 at the Kane County Judicial Center, when two veterans were honored for completing the program.

Johnson also is active in several task forces, including those that work to reduce homelessness and suicide among Kane County veterans. He said the toughest part of the job is meeting veterans who need help but aren’t ready to accept it.

“It’s very tough to see that situation because you really want to make sure everyone is taken care of,” he said. “But we accept anyone in our office, and we will give them every opportunity to be successful.”

Johnson recently received national recognition with the Christopher Hinton President’s Award from the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers. The award recognizes those who go above and beyond to help veterans, inspire their colleagues and leave a lasting positive impact.

After a decade of serving Kane County veterans, Johnson accepted a position with the McHenry County Veterans Assistance Commission this year, where he will begin serving as superintendent in January.