Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES)
The Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) is used to determine if service members coping with wounds that may prevent them from performing their duties are able to continue serving. The IDES is a joint process established by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) that includes a single set of disability medical examinations and disability ratings for use by both departments.
The IDES process primarily consists of the Medical Evaluation Board (MEB) and Physical Evaluation Board (PEB). The MEB/PEB process begins when the Medical Retention Determination Point (MRDP) has been reached – usually a service member receives treatment for up to a year before a clinician evaluates the Soldier and determines whether or not the service member has a condition that may render him/her unfit for duty. For additional information on the MEB/PEB, visit our MEB/PEB page.
There are many roads that our wounded, ill and injured Soldiers travel before reaching their MRDP or completing the IDES process, which include:
- MOS Administrative Retention Review (MAR2) – Hearing loss and other restrictive physical limitations may prevent Soldiers from performing their MOS. During the MAR2 process, the board makes a determination on whether or not a Soldier can retain his or her current MOS, be reclassified, or separate from the military.
- Active Duty Medical Extension (ADME) and Medical Retention Processing (MRP2) – COMPO 2/3 Soldiers who were injured or wounded while on inactive or active duty status that warrant admission into a Warrior Transition Unit (WTU) can apply for these programs before meeting the MRDP. The ADME/MRP2 programs place Reserve Component Soldiers on temporary active duty while they receive their medical evaluation or treatment, helping Soldiers prepare for their return to duty or transition from the Army upon reaching the MRDP.
- Temporary Disability Retired List (TDRL) – Some of our Soldiers have physical disabilities that make them unfit for military duty, but their disability has not sufficiently stabilized to accurately assess its permanent degree of disability. Soldiers may be on TDRL prior to or after being placed in a WTU.
- Permanent Disability Retired List (PDRL) – Soldiers who are determined by the PEB as “Not Fit for Duty” may be placed on the PDRL. Service members who are on the PDRL are entitled to disability retirement pay from the DoD.
- Continuation on Active Duty (COAD)/Continuation on Active Reserve (COAR) – Soldiers who are found to be unfit for duty by the PEB that are interested in continuing their service may apply for COAD/COAR.
Return to top of page
