Army Blocks Disability Paperwork Aid at Fort Drum

[Cavguy]

I think it's most likey a typical case of someone making well intentioned guidance based off of improving process, without considering how it gets interpreted by those on the receiving end.

A statement intended to reduce the possibility of paperwork confusion was interpreted by the VA as a desire to prevent an increase in successful claims and ratings. And if the service was discontinued, then you work against the mission of providing help to the soldiers in a complex process if no replacement process was made.

There's a great RAND paper about Vietnam called "Bureauacracy does its Thing", which probably is the most apt description of the whole issue. The process is the obstacle.

On a high note, BG Tucker is absolutely the right guy to be the DCG of the Medical Command. As a former NCO and Tanker, anyone whose served under him knows of his patience for things that don't make sense. God help the individual who isn't ready to be flexible and go above and beyond what is required to help a soldier.

"Operation Free Chicken" is still legendary in 1AD - he busted the difficult European supply process to allow us to turn in literally all our excess property that clogged the supply rooms and connexes with a minimum of hassle to the unit - and made the log agenices come to us instead of us going to them. My supply sergeant often made long road trips trying to dispose of or repair equipment only to be turned back by short working hours, new paperwork requirements, or other factors. (In Germany the BCT bases are mostly distributed away from the supporting logistics site for routine matters, legacy of the Cold War dispersion).

My contact inside of the WTU process told me that shaking up the medical command bureaucrats who just frankly didn't care was the hardest part.

"Go to window 7, get a stamp, go to window 9, you need the new TPS cover sheet on this, no you need an O-7 signature, etc."

I think the Army will be proactive on this and is already hyper sensitive to the issue. I just hate that it takes a soldier going to the media or congress to get people moving.