Despite progress by VA in providing “timely information” to Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom servicemembers and their families, according to a new Government Accountability Office report, the agency still faces hurdles in electronically accessing necessary DOD medical records, says Rep. Michael Bilarkis (R. Fla.) The report notes that the records are crucial in providing follow-up care for veterans and servicemembers getting treatment at VA facilities. Bilirakis, who is chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, declares, “There is no reason that DOD today cannot share all medical information on our severely wounded service members with their VA polytrauma rehablitation center staff counterparts. I fully intend to follow up with VA and DOD to determine if the obstacles are technical or cultural.”
The Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness revised the Defense Department’s COVID-19 guidelines. The new rules clarify what’s meant by being “up to date” on vaccinations and when personnel must wear masks in vehicles, among other changes.