Burr Blasts Disability Evaluation

At a hearing of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on Wednesday, Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., found little to like in the new and supposedly improved joint Defense/VA Integrated Disability Evaluation System, in development since May 2007.

In his opening statement, Burr said there's been a wide range of challenges with the new disability system, among them "logistical issues, staffing shortages, inadequate IT solutions, and concerns about the quality of life for service members going through the process."

Burr said troops still have to wait a long time to go through the disability evaluation process, which determines whether they will stay on active duty and what will be their benefits if they're discharged.

Nationwide, Burr said, it takes on average 394 days to complete the process -- almost 100 days longer than the target -- and at Camp Lejeune, N.C., it takes an average of 512 days.

This is an improvement?