The Board on Military and Veterans Health was established to focus on issues of health and health care related to military service. Military personnel and their families are exposed to risks that are often distinct from those of the civilian population, and they often receive health care and other services from dedicated systems within the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

The board focuses on issues relevant to this population, examines problems encountered that may be barriers to optimal health care services or outcomes, and identifies opportunities to improve the transition from services provided by the Department of Defense to those provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

The Board on Military and Veterans Health pursues studies related to the health impacts of the military experience.  Its interests include individuals serving on active duty, including the National Guard and Reserve, as well as those who have departed military service.  The board seeks to address health issues that span the continuum of the service experience (from entry into service through the lifetime of veterans), a broad range of health and health care issues, and the health and health care needs of service members and veterans within the context of their families and communities.  

The Institute of Medicine expects the Board on Military and Veterans Health to be a principal but not an exclusive venue for IOM studies related to military and veterans’ health. 

The Board on Military and Veterans Health incorporates the Medical Follow-Up Agency (MFUA) into its activities. MFUA was established in 1946 to conduct epidemiological data studies utilizing the medical records of armed services personnel and veterans.  Though residing within the Board on Military and Veterans Health, MFUA will continue its operations as a special studies unit.  The studies that have in recent years been conducted under the umbrella of the MFUA will now be within the purview of the Board on Military and Veterans Health, and MFUA will focus principally on its traditional epidemiological data studies.  For more information on the Medical Follow-Up Agency, please visit their webpage http://www.iom.edu/mfua