Between 2001-2021, the Veteran Affairs Disability Compensation payments in the US quadrupled

Based on quasi-random assignment of recruits to units the paper finds deployment can't explain the rise in disability payments, which is more likely driven by policy changes. The Economist published an article about this today, linking the issue also with conversations around efficiency in public spending:

>"The biggest shift over the past two decades has been an ever-expanding list of “presumptive conditions”—ailments that are assumed to be service-related without requiring proof. This list now includes common afflictions such as asthma, chronic rhinitis and type-2 diabetes. Once on the payroll, veterans rarely leave it and can pile on new claims indefinitely. Many start with minor conditions such as sleep apnea, and stack on additional diagnoses until they reach the maximum payout... Research shows disability payments have markedly reduced employment among veterans, and delivered no measurable improvement to their mental or physical health."