Typically, seriously injured military personnel are evacuated to the Army's Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, DC, the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD, or to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX, which specializes in burn treatment. Although the Center will attempt to provide some degree of assistance to any severely injured service member who contacts them, the primary focus is on those returning from OEF and OIF with brain injuries, paralysis, amputation, severe burns or blindness. To date, nearly all have been contacted and offered assistance; additional support is ongoing for nearly 30 of these. Considerations for Congress

DOD and individual military service support programs provide a focal point for disabled service members and their families to resolve pay and promotion problems; receive assistance through the medical evaluation and retirement process; and aid in the seamless transition to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The FY2006 National Defense Authorization Act further requires DOD to prescribe comprehensive policies and procedures for these programs that will be uniform across the services to the extent practicable. Guidance

These support programs appear to be a reflection of the genuine concern by civilian and military leaders who place high priority on caring for wounded military personnel. This may make it difficult to identify strengths, weaknesses, and potential new directions as these programs mature and become permanent.
Ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have caused serious injuries to some military personnel. Many have been returned to medical facilities in the U.S., especially Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the National Naval Medical Center, and Brooke Army Medical Center. These severe and traumatic injuries—including amputations, burns, blindness, brain injury, and paralysis—often create significant hardships for the affected individuals that make independent living difficult or impossible. For example, an injured service member may need extensive physical therapy, transportation assistance, and job retraining in order to make the transition back to civilian life. In 2003 and 2004, some pointed out inadequacies in the military's ability to provide these services to its seriously injured personnel. Members of Congress have frequently expressed concern about the level of care for these wounded warriors and their family members. The Department of Defense (DOD) and each of the military services have established new programs to care for the severely disabled, ensuring rehabilitative assistance and easing the transition back to civilian life. Congress has followed these initiatives with interest and recently directed DOD to develop policies and procedures to standardize these programs. This report examines the background for the new initiatives and provides a status of each program, including contact information. This report will be updated as these programs continue to evolve and mature.