Injured Troops Must Battle for Benefits

With wars in abundance, the military uses bureaucracy to trim disability costs

When a doctor said in June 2010 that he could not be deployed again as a result, it was a "tough blow." A few months later, after having trouble reintegrating, Kinberg was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The yearlong battle that followed, however, as Kinberg attempted to retire from the Navy with disability and medical benefits, was more difficult than he could have imagined. At first, the military denied him a retirement with full benefits, arguing that the PTSD and ankylosing spondylitis pre-existed his service.