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Throughout their military careers, service members accumulate a unique history of deployments and on-the-job experiences. The Department of War is taking a landmark step to ensure each service member’s history of potential health exposures is not just documented but also in their hands.
In a major move toward transparency and empowerment, access to the Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record, or ILER, will be expanded to all active duty and National Guard and Reserve members, as well as civilian Common Access Card, or CAC, holders, starting in spring 2026.
According to Health.mil, the ILER is a secure, web-based system developed by the Department of War and the Department of Veterans Affairs to document and manage occupational and environmental exposures encountered by service members during their military careers.
This expansion, mandated by Congress as part of the PACT Act, reinforces the department's commitment to long-term health and strengthens the data-sharing link between the DOW and the VA.
“By using ILER, we’re not only strengthening individual care — we’re supporting force readiness and long-term health outcomes,” said Steve Jones, program director, comprehensive exposure monitoring policy in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Health Affairs, in a press release announcing the launch.
The system pulls from numerous sources, including deployment data, environmental sampling assessments, and occupational health assessments to create a comprehensive timeline. It’s important to understand, however, that the ILER is a record of potential exposures, not a medical record. It documents that a service member was in a specific location or performed a certain job where a hazard was present; it does not confirm a medical diagnosis or that an individual was definitively exposed.
According to a health.mil ILER fact sheet, providers are still responsible for talking with patients about occupational and environmental exposures. The ILER supports clinical awareness and may help inform risk assessment, screening considerations, diagnostic thinking, and care planning. It’s a decision support tool that complements, but doesn;t replace clinical judgment.
For service members, the day-to-day demands of military life are front and center. But taking five minutes today to access their ILER is a critical step in protecting a family’s future.
In its information page about ILER, Health.mil explains your health record doesn’t always tell the full story, but ILER helps fill in the gaps. In short, ILER helps keep your exposure history accessible.
This record is the official evidence that can become critical to a service member years, or even decades, after leaving the service, as exposures to hazards can lead to long-term health risks. Having a consolidated record reduces the administrative burden if a veteran ever needs to file a claim with the VA, providing a clearer path to get the care and compensation they are entitled to.
For many unit leaders, taking care of their troops is the No. 1 priority, and that responsibility does not end when a service member leaves the unit.
While accessing the system is optional, the ILER fact sheet recommends leadership encourage personnel to review their ILER periodically, especially after deployments, changes in duty station, or before separation or retirement.
By informing their people about this tool, leaders are empowering them to take ownership of their health. Adding a check of the ILER to counseling or out-processing checklists is a tangible way to ensure a service member’s history of service and any hazards they faced are not forgotten.
The expansion of ILER access marks a strategic shift in DOW’s approach to force health protection, emphasizing transparency and trust.
The expanded access allows service members and civilian CAC holders to review their individualized service-related exposure information as well as check for self-reported information that may be missing. This ability to provide feedback opens a new channel for communication and fosters a more holistic view of a person’s career.
While Defense Health Agency-Public Health does not own the ILER system, it provides services pertinent to maintaining and improving deployment health, said Cristine Maranville, the Environmental Health Information Systems program manager for DHA-PH at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. These responsibilities include collecting, managing, analyzing, and reporting data within the environmental and occupational monitoring system of record, that is, the Defense Occupational and Environmental Health Readiness System - Industrial Hygiene, or DOEHRS-IH, which is the backbone of the ILER system.
“There is a significant, DOW-wide effort to improve the quality of occupational and environmental health exposure surveillance data,” said Maranville. “Because ILER compiles data from DOEHRS-IH, these data quality initiatives should not only directly improve what a service member sees in their individualized record but also strengthen accountability.”
Accessing your ILER is the first step in taking ownership of your environmental health history. It’s recommended to check the record periodically, such as once a year, and save a copy with your other important life documents.
The Defense Health Agency operates the world’s premier military health enterprise—unique in mission, purpose, and obligation to our nation, our Military Service leaders, and our Combatant Commanders.
NOTE: The mention of any non-federal entity and/or its products is for informational purposes only, and is not to be construed or interpreted, in any manner, as federal endorsement of that non-federal entity or its products.
| Date Taken: | 06.17.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.17.2026 13:48 |
| Story ID: | 568019 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Your service, your history: Department of War expands access to personal exposure records, by Douglas Holl, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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