Pentagon leaders acknowledged last week that it is time to revamp the DOD and VA disability rating evaluation systems. The news came as hearings continued on the treatment of wounded veterans following Washington Post articles detailing deplorable conditions and bureaucratic tangles at a Walter Reed outpatient facility. David S.C. Chu told House Armed Services Committee members that each of the military services has its own system. He called it “complex” and “frustrating” from an individual’s viewpoint. William Winkenwerder, who has announced his departure as the Pentagon’s top health official, said the system “must not be adversarial.”
The U.S., South Korea, and Japan flew an unusual trilateral flight with two U.S. B-52H Stratofortress bombers escorted by two Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-2s, and two ROK Air Force KF-16 fighters—both countries’ respective variants of the F-16—July 11. That same weekend, the top military officers of the three nations…