{"id":74538,"date":"2023-10-30T21:17:16","date_gmt":"2023-10-30T21:17:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2023\/10\/30\/guard-reserve-troops-get-fewer-veterans-disability-claims-approved\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T16:01:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T16:01:11","slug":"guard-reserve-troops-get-fewer-veterans-disability-claims-approved","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2023\/10\/30\/guard-reserve-troops-get-fewer-veterans-disability-claims-approved\/","title":{"rendered":"Guard, reserve troops get fewer veterans disability claims approved"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

National Guard<\/a> and reserve service members are less likely to get their veterans disability claims approved than their active-duty counterparts because of incomplete military records and inadequate oversight of their injuries, according to a new analysis from a federal watchdog<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The disparity comes even as guard <\/a>and reserve members continue to take on traditional active-duty roles <\/a>across a host of military deployments, bringing with them additional health risks and complications. And it could mean tens of thousands of veterans missing out on benefits even as the department expands its financial support for injured veterans in the coming years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a report released Monday, the Government Accountability Office<\/a> found that over a 10-year span, the part-time troops\u2019 approval rate in first-time disability claims ranged from 62% in 2012 to 77% in 2021. That lagged significantly behind active-duty troops\u2019 approval rates, which grew from 79% in 2021 to 90% in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers said the problem was not necessarily linked to fewer injuries or illnesses among reserve and guard personnel, but instead tied to less documentation of potential problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\t