Lost in the System: What the Data Says About Medical Discharges
- Kirk Carlson
- Jun 8
- 2 min read
By Kirk Carlson | USMC Veteran | Founder, Covenant of Courage
Every year, thousands of service members are quietly discharged due to injuries or illnesses sustained during their time in uniform. These separations are not the result of misconduct or poor performance, but of medical conditions that make them non-deployable. And for too many, the discharge process is neither fair nor supportive—it’s a bureaucratic exit with life-altering consequences.
Behind every medical discharge is a story. But behind those stories is a trend—and the data confirms it: far too many of our injured troops are being lost in the system.
📊 The Numbers Don’t Lie
According to Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs data:
Over 200,000 service members have been diagnosed with PTSD since 2002.
Roughly 20,000 active-duty troops are medically separated each year.
A significant percentage of those medically discharged are non-combat related injuries, such as joint damage, back injuries, and mental health conditions.
Many of these discharges come with limited transition planning, partial or contested VA disability ratings, and reduced access to benefits.
Worse, a 2021 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that:
The military’s disability evaluation process lacks consistency across service branches.
Some troops are discharged before their medical diagnoses are fully understood or documented.
Appeals can take months or years, leaving veterans without care or income during a vulnerable time.
⚠️ Who Falls Through the Cracks?
Service members injured during training or domestic assignments
Troops with “invisible wounds” like TBI or PTSD
Those from lower enlisted ranks who lack advocacy or legal support
Women and LGBTQ+ veterans facing stigma in the discharge process
Young service members unaware of their right to appeal or request a reassignment
They are not just overlooked—they are abandoned by a system that prioritizes deployability over dignity.
💡 The Flawed Logic of Discharge Over Reassignment
Current military policy largely treats deployability as a binary: if you can deploy, you can serve; if you can’t, you’re processed out.
But this black-and-white thinking ignores the complexity of modern military service. Many roles in logistics, intelligence, IT, cyber, administration, and training do not require combat fitness. These roles need experience and dedication—two things injured service members still have.
Instead of finding a new place for them in the system, we’re removing them from it.
🛠️ What Needs to Change
The #ReasonableRanks campaign is advocating for the following reforms:
Create a formal reassignment pathway for non-deployable personnel who can still serve in non-combat roles.
Standardize and humanize the medical discharge process across all branches.
Preserve rank, retirement trajectory, and VA access for reassigned individuals.
Provide transition advocates to guide every medical separation from start to finish.
Medical discharge should be a last resort—not the first step the moment someone gets injured.
📣 A Call to Action
If we believe service members deserve respect for their commitment, then we must also fight for policy that reflects that respect. Medical discharge shouldn’t mean being discarded. It should come with dignity, options, and care.
Veterans aren’t lost in the system by accident—they’re lost because the system is broken. Let’s fix it.
🖊️ Sign the Petition: https://chng.it/5yXYvkBtMR
🌐 Learn More: www.ReasonableRanks.org
📢 Join the Movement: #ReasonableRanks #VeteransMatter #ReassignmentNotDischarge #MilitaryReform
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