Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05) today welcomed to Fort Carson a successful pilot program aimed at streamlining the claims process for disabled soldiers.

The year-old program has helped soldiers in the Washington, DC area have easier, quicker access to their veteran’s benefits. Now the Department of Defense is expanding the program to 17 other military bases, including Fort Carson. The program eliminates duplicate medical exams and disability ratings from both the Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration. Under the streamlined pilot program, soldiers will now only have one exam and one rating.

“One of my highest priorities in Congress is to help our military men and women. Our greatest obligation as a nation is to those wounded men and women who have defended our freedoms. I had requested an expansion of the program based on its favorable review. I am pleased that the Department of Defense has agreed to introduce this pilot program to Fort Carson and look  forward to continued improvements in the disability claims process.” – Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05)

The Disability Evaluation System (DES) pilot program rates disabled veterans for claims benefits using a single evaluation. The program is scheduled to be operational at Fort Carson in May 2009.

The single disability examination pilot program is focused on recommendations from the reports of the Task Force on Returning Global War on Terrorism Heroes, the Independent Review Group, the President’s Commission on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors, and the Commission on Veteran’s Disability Benefits.

Lamborn is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.

# # #