thedrifter
04-18-09, 06:40 AM
DoD provides Marine Corps attorneys to assist wounded, ill and injured
4/17/2009 By Scout staff , Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. —The Disability Evaluation System (DES) is a process that assesses whether wounded, ill, or injured service members can recover and remain in the service, or whether the service member must be medically separated or retired. In the spirit of “taking care of our own,” the Department of Defense has directed that each military service provide government legal counsel to advise and represent service members during the Physical Evaluation Board process to include any subsequent appeals. The Marine Corps currently has three DES Advisors, two of whom are stationed here at Camp Pendleton.
Generally speaking, if a Marine is wounded, injured, or ill and unable to recover, the doctor refers the Marine to a medical board. The medical board evaluates the Marine’s case and the case is forwarded to the Physical Evaluation Board with pertinent information to include the Marine’s complete medical record. At that point, an informal Physical Evaluation Board convenes and determines whether the Marine is able to remain in the Marine Corps, and if not, assigns a disability rating if applicable. Medical documentation and Command support are critical to the process.
The DES process can be challenging at times, particularly for Marines suffering from multiple injuries and those diagnosed with Traumatic Brain Injury or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. There are many groups involved in taking care of our wounded, ill, and injured to include the Medical Treatment Facilities, Wounded Warrior Regiment, and various federal agencies. The purpose of the DES Advisors is to assist our Marines in understanding the DES process, what to expect, how to prepare for the Physical Evaluation Board, and what the results mean. Another primary concern is to assist the Medical Treatment Facilities in ensuring that each Marine’s medical case is complete, well-documented, and submitted in an expeditious manner.
Camp Pendleton’s DES advisors are located at the Joint Legal Assistance Office, Building 22161 (Area 22), Camp Pendleton, but can frequently be seen at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, Naval Medical Center San Diego, and Wounded Warrior Battalion West.
For more information about the Disability Evaluation System or Physical Evaluation Board, view the Department of Defense Instruction 1332.38 (Physical Disability Evaluation); Secretary of the Navy Instruction 1850.4E (Disability Evaluation Manual) and the Department of Veterans Affairs web site, http://www.va.gov or contact the DES Advisors at (760) 725-6174 and (760) 763-7671.
Ellie
4/17/2009 By Scout staff , Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. —The Disability Evaluation System (DES) is a process that assesses whether wounded, ill, or injured service members can recover and remain in the service, or whether the service member must be medically separated or retired. In the spirit of “taking care of our own,” the Department of Defense has directed that each military service provide government legal counsel to advise and represent service members during the Physical Evaluation Board process to include any subsequent appeals. The Marine Corps currently has three DES Advisors, two of whom are stationed here at Camp Pendleton.
Generally speaking, if a Marine is wounded, injured, or ill and unable to recover, the doctor refers the Marine to a medical board. The medical board evaluates the Marine’s case and the case is forwarded to the Physical Evaluation Board with pertinent information to include the Marine’s complete medical record. At that point, an informal Physical Evaluation Board convenes and determines whether the Marine is able to remain in the Marine Corps, and if not, assigns a disability rating if applicable. Medical documentation and Command support are critical to the process.
The DES process can be challenging at times, particularly for Marines suffering from multiple injuries and those diagnosed with Traumatic Brain Injury or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. There are many groups involved in taking care of our wounded, ill, and injured to include the Medical Treatment Facilities, Wounded Warrior Regiment, and various federal agencies. The purpose of the DES Advisors is to assist our Marines in understanding the DES process, what to expect, how to prepare for the Physical Evaluation Board, and what the results mean. Another primary concern is to assist the Medical Treatment Facilities in ensuring that each Marine’s medical case is complete, well-documented, and submitted in an expeditious manner.
Camp Pendleton’s DES advisors are located at the Joint Legal Assistance Office, Building 22161 (Area 22), Camp Pendleton, but can frequently be seen at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, Naval Medical Center San Diego, and Wounded Warrior Battalion West.
For more information about the Disability Evaluation System or Physical Evaluation Board, view the Department of Defense Instruction 1332.38 (Physical Disability Evaluation); Secretary of the Navy Instruction 1850.4E (Disability Evaluation Manual) and the Department of Veterans Affairs web site, http://www.va.gov or contact the DES Advisors at (760) 725-6174 and (760) 763-7671.
Ellie