Variables affecting Army physical disability processing

This research identifies variables affecting the length of time to process a soldier through the U.S. Army Physical Disability Evaluation System (PDES). The subjects are 8,301 soldiers whose disability records were processed in fiscal year 1996. The dependent variable examined was the average number of days a soldier remains in the disability processing system. Independent variables included age, component, compensation award, Congressional involvement, gender, grade, retirement eligibility, race, length of service, formal Physical Evaluation Board (PEB), and regional PEB. Statistical analysis using linear regression and SPSS yielded an average length of stay (ALOS) of 155 days and a range of 1 to 2,052 days. The research shows that the most significant variables affecting ALOS are Congressional involvement, component, compensation, formal PEB, and regional PEB. The authors recommend a program of disability case management and increasing emphasis on transition assistance programs to reduce ALOS in the PDES.