A VA employee assigned to serve as a liaison for the service member throughout the VA disability evaluation and claims process.

The Department of Defense mechanism for determining fitness for duty, separation, or retirement of service members because of disability in accordance with chapter 61 of Title 10, United States Code.

A Department of Defense-only group that reviews the effectiveness of DES functions, identifies best practices, addresses inconsistencies between policy and law, addresses difficulties administering the DES, and provides a forum to develop and plan improvements.

Reserve Component service members not on active duty orders, to include service members on active duty for 30 days or less or on inactive-duty training.

A position of duty, trust, and authority to which an individual is appointed.

A DOD-only disability evaluation mechanism to assess ill or injured Service members’ fitness for continued military service and, if unfit, the appropriate disability disposition. Service members processed through the LDES must be afforded the opportunity to apply for veterans’ disability benefits through the VA pre-discharge BDD Program.

A process which involves upon request of the service member, the DOD assigning a physician or other appropriate health care professional who is independent of the MEB to the service member to serve as an independent source for review of the findings and recommendations of the MEB. During the IMR, the independent physician or health care professional will ...

Individually identifiable health information (as defined in the HIPAA Privacy Rule) that, except as provided in this issuance, is transmitted or maintained by electronic or any other form or medium. PHI excludes individually identifiable health information in employment records held by a DOD covered entity in its role as employer. Information that has bee...

The PEB’s record of proceedings, which includes the fitness decision, code, and percentage rating for each unfitting and compensable condition, stability and permanency of the disability, and administrative determinations.

The order of precedence among members of the military services.

A designator code that indicates rationale for which a service member is discharged from military service.

A step or degree in a graduated scale of office or military rank that is established and designated as a grade by law or regulation.

The military department’s response to the service member’s MEB rebuttal.

A disability that prevents a service member from performing the duties of their office, grade, rank, or rating. These duties include those performed during a remaining period of Reserve obligation.

A person who served in the active military and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable.