Army's Disability Processing Passes Crunch Point
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The Army's number of physical evaluations due to combat injuries jumped from 9,000 in 2001 to more than 15,000 in 2005. This has created serious delays in disability processing, according to a March 12 report from the Army's inspector general. For example, the service is only meeting its 40-day time limit for completing physical evaluation boards in less than 10 percent of the cases. In addition, it's only keeping to its 30-day goal for processing medical evaluation boards 57 percent of the time. With 30 people assigned to process the boards, organizations reported an " overwhelming need" for additional staff but have not received funding for new hires. Furthermore, some locations lack wheelchair access -- a violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act. One facility had wheelchair ramps that could be accessed only via a gravel parking lot.