Disability-related data for service members in the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, and Air Force may be compiled from a number of sources. For example, information on the number of days lost to active duty from short-term health conditions is available through the service-specific medical branches or line-of-duty reports. Information on the number of persons discharged from service or temporarily released from duty with pay due to physical disability is available from independent disability agencies within each service. The specific agencies include the Army Physical Disablity Agency, the Naval Disability Evaluation Board, and the Air Force Physical Disability Division.

Physical evaluation boards (PEBs) designated by each of the military services routinely convene to review each case and determine the individual’s fitness for continued active service. Compensation decisions are rendered for individuals where a disability is incurred or aggravated while in receipt of basic pay, or for career members of the service who are unable to complete their careers due to a physical disability.

Medical Evaluation Boards (MEBs) are responsible for evaluating the medical impairment and the degree of severity for every disability case coming before a PEB review. MEB data provide more information regarding the cause of the disability, the type of injury involved, and the cause of the injury.