YAKIMA -- Yakima County has hired retired Army First Sgt. David Brown as its first full-time veterans coordinator to work with poor, homeless and incarcerated veterans.

"It's our continued effort to enhance our services to vets and prevent them from falling through the cracks as much as possible," said Steve Hill, director of community services.

Brown, 50, grew up in Cowiche and graduated from Highland High School. After 21 years in recruitment for the Army in Seattle, he returned to Yakima in 2004 and worked as a corrections officer for the county.

But helping vets, said Brown, is his calling. "It's always been a passion, especially since I have a son in Iraq and a son-in-law just back from Iraq," he said.

Veterans make up as much as 25 percent of the homeless population in the county.

"For a lot of vets, there's a cycle of homelessness and incarceration," said Brown. Among his first priorities will be to start working with veterans in the corrections system.

Hill said the county was able to combine a state homeless grant and Veterans Relief Fund money to create the permanent position. The job pays about $35,000 annually.