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FEDERALhearing transcript

Update on Military Review Board Agencies

Original title: [H.A.S.C. No. 115-119] Update on Military Review Board Agencies

January 1, 2019

militaryveteranspersonnelgovernment efficiencybureaucracy

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The Frame

What this does

Veterans seeking corrections to their military records or discharge status face significant processing delays, with some waiting over 450 days for agency action, impacting their access to benefits and services.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Veterans

Veterans seeking record corrections or discharge upgrades are subject to processing delays that impact the timeline for receiving decisions.

Military Review Board Agencies

These agencies are responsible for managing the application backlog and implementing new technologies to meet congressional mandates.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2019.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The House Subcommittee on Military Personnel held a hearing to evaluate the progress of military review boards in processing veteran applications. The committee examined persistent backlogs and delays that have caused some veterans to wait over 450 days for decisions on record corrections and discharge upgrades.

Key Facts

  • The hearing was held to follow up on military review board performance and address persistent application backlogs.
  • Some veterans have experienced processing delays of 450 days or more for record corrections and discharge upgrades.
  • Military review boards are currently failing to meet congressionally mandated processing timelines.
  • The volume of applications received by the boards has increased significantly, and many cases have become more complex.
  • The Army has added 20 new civilian staff members to its Review Boards Agency to address workload issues.
  • The subcommittee requested information on long-term backlog reduction plans and the use of new technology to improve efficiency.

Why It Matters

Veterans seeking corrections to their military records or discharge status face significant processing delays, with some waiting over 450 days for agency action, impacting their access to benefits and services.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do military review boards do?
They are responsible for correcting errors in military records and addressing injustices, including processing requests for discharge upgrades and name changes.
Why are there delays in processing veteran applications?
The hearing identified a significant increase in the volume of applications and an increase in the complexity of the cases being submitted.

News Coverage

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Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Staffing Increase

The Army has specifically added 20 civilian staff members to address the backlog, indicating a shift toward increasing human resources to manage case volume.

Francine C. Blackmon

Connected Entities

personJohn A. Fedrigo“Director, Air Force Review Boards Agency”Map →
personMike Coffman“Chairman of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel”Map →
organizationSubcommittee on Military Personnel“House Armed Services Committee subcommittee”Map →
personFrancine C. Blackmon“Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, Review Boards”Map →
personRobert L. Woods“Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Department o”Map →
personJackie Speier“Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy30
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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