very few people could bring to that task the experience and personal commitment that tom lamont did. assistant secretary lamont also oversaw a review of the army's integrated disability evaluation system. the ides system is a partnership between the defense department and the department of veterans affairs. it is used to evaluate the wounded, ill, or injured service members, to determine whether they are fit for duty and, if not, what disability rate being and benefits they receive. thanks to tom's focus, wait times are down more than 40% and the process more consistent, less adversarial. we need to cut back on backlog even further, and we will. tom lamont's leadership over the last four years has made a real difference in reducing the so-called benefits gap for service members transitioning to civilian life. one reason that tom has been such an effective assistant secretary of the army is the respect he brought to this position from the sacrifices made by all soldiers, whether they are active duty, guard, or reserve. that respect is something tom learned during his 25 years as a judg