ON ONE side of the desk, there could be a veteran, their spouse, their widow, or their children. ZaBrina Seay cares for them all. As director of the Wilson County Veterans Service Office, Seay works every day to ensure veterans and their families receive the support they need.
Seay said her passion for the work stemmed from her own time in the military and her own experience sitting on the other side of that same desk.
“Someone took great care of me when I retired, and now I have the opportunity to repay that favor,” Seay said. “We literally change the lives of some people. They can go from not being able to afford their food, rent, or medicine all at the same time to actually living — living and thriving.”
Seay joined the military after graduating from college, following the footsteps of several of her family members. Her father, brother, aunt, and uncle all served their country as well. While in the military, Seay said, she added others to her list of “family.”
“I have friends now, that I consider family, that I met from day one, and we’re still together,” Seay said.
She retired as a lieutenant colonel after 20 years of service, having commanded at Fort Benning and Fort Campbell. During her retirement process, she went through the same process that she takes people through now, though she did not understand at the time how important it was.
“I had no idea the gravity of what was happening at that point,” Seay said. “All I know is that I walked away with my 100%, and now I know what that person did for me.”
It’s a complicated system, where one word mentioned or forgotten could be the difference between getting a service and being denied. Seay said it is easier to make the necessary connections since she has been in her client’s position.
“It doesn’t matter how old or how young they are, what sex, what race, what branch of service, or any of that,” Seay said. “We all speak a common language, so it’s easier to build that rapport. It’s easier to build that trust with them.”
That trust has led her to hear stories shared with no one else, to comfort widows who never believed their husbands’ deaths would be resolved, and to uncover information that secured a Marine hundreds of thousands of dollars in overdue pay.
“It’s very fulfilling and humbling to be able to care for not only … (I call us the ‘less than one percenters’) out there, but their family members,” Seay said. “It’s heartwarming to be able to do that.”
As director, Seay started the No Vet Left Behind program. Funded entirely by donations, No Vet Left Behind has helped veterans and their dependents pay rent, pay bills, and buy medicine, among other things. Her work there and in the Veterans Service Office has helped people across Wilson County get back on their feet and back to thriving in the community.
“We’re moving and shaping,” Seay said. “We are willing to go the distance with each and every veteran and their family members to get them what they deserve.” GN
For more information, visit Wilson County Veterans Services at 304 E. Main St., wilsoncountytn.gov/202/Veterans-Services, or call (615) 444-2460.
