Injured Center Shutdown Rumors Clarified

By: fedweek

The Defense Department established the Military Severely Injured Center in 2005 to assist wounded service members to transition through the maze of benefits provided by the military services and multiple government bureaucracies. Responding to recent reports that case workers at the center are being laid off and the center is phasing down, the Military Officers Association of America conferred with Army and DoD officials. MOAA learned that “the military services have significantly increased their capacity to handle these cases, and the Army has actively sought to regain responsibility for assisting all of its wounded soldiers and their families.” Principal DoD deputy for community and family policy Leslye Arsht said the center will ensure a “warm handoff” of each severely injured member’s case to the individual service support programs and will continue to assist as needed. MOAA will keep monitoring the program handoff, said an official.