Health task force to survey soldiers’ records

Health task force to survey soldiers’ records
By Joe Gould - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Jun 4, 2012

NOTE: A VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE RAN IN THE JUNE 4, 2012, EDITION OF THE NEWSPAPER. THE ARTICLE BELOW CLARIFIES THAT THE ARMY WILL SURVEY SOLDIERS’ RECORDS AND NOT THE SOLDIERS THEMSELVES.

The Army will survey current and former soldiers’ records to learn about their treatment as part of its sweeping, multipronged review of behavioral health cases from the last decade of war, according to a top Army official.

The case files of current and former soldiers who were screened for medically separation by a Medical Evaluation Board will be part of the survey. The idea is “to take care of those individuals who weren’t treated well,” said Army Undersecretary Joseph Westphal, one of the officials leading the review.

The servicewide review of mental health cases dating back to 2001 is meant to ensure that soldiers suffering from a behavioral health illness were not denied appropriate medical retirement benefits.

While the time frame of the study is set, Army officials are working on determining how many soldiers’ records will be surveyed and what the selection criteria will be, Westphal said.
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