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Gates: Injured U.S. Troops Face Too Much Bureaucracy
Defense Secretary Robert Gates say injured U.S. troops face too much red tape.
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WASHINGTON (October 26, 2009)—U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says troops who are injured in combat are still facing too many bureaucratic hurdles.
He said paperwork alone for them can be "frustrating, adversarial, and unnecessarily complex."
Gates spoke Monday at a mental health summit with Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. They have pledged to create a system that would make it easier for the Pentagon and VA to exchange information so there is less of a wait for veterans to get disability benefits.
Among U.S. troops who have fought in the recent wars, Gates says brain injuries and mental health ailments are "widespread, entrenched and insidious."
He said the military continues to face a shortage of mental health professionals as it works to tackles the issue.
