A
congressional subcommittee today plans to take up the topic of missing war
records from Iraq and Afghanistan, the subject of a ProPublica-Seattle Times
investigation last
month.
The hearing
by the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and
Memorial Affairs can be seen live starting at 2 p.m.
Witnesses include representatives from major veterans’
groups, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs , the
National Archives and Records Administration and the Defense Department.
The ProPublica and the Times reported over Veterans Day
weekend that, despite orders, dozens of U.S. Army units in both theaters had
lost or failed to keep field records during the wars. The records — such
as after-action reports, casualty reports and duty logs — provide vital
information for historians and can be critical evidence for veterans seeking
disability benefits.
“The
impact that accurate recordkeeping and access to records has on the backlog of
VA disability claims and the negative impact to our veterans cannot be stressed
enough,” subcommittee Chairman Jon Runyan, R-N.J.,
said in a statement to ProPublica.
“It is
important that this issue receive the attention and oversight it merits, as it
has a very real effect on the lives of those who have served our nation, and
the barriers they run into to access the benefits they have earned through that
service,” Runyon said.
The
panel is taking up the issue as part of a larger discussion about the VA’s plans
for transitioning to paperless records. Scheduled witnesses include:
• Richard Dumancas,
deputy director for claims, The American Legion
• Michael Viterna,
president, National Association of Veterans Advocates
• Jeffrey Hall, assistant national legislative
director, Disabled American Veterans
• Jim Neighbors, director of DoD/VA Collaboration Office, U.S. Department of Defense
• Scott Levins,
director of National Personnel Records Center, U.S. National Archives and
Records Administration
• Alan Bozeman, director, Veterans Benefits
Management System Program Office, Veterans Benefits Administration, U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs.
