Which agency uses line of duty (LOD) determinations to determine eligibility for physical disability retirement?

• A. Office of Personnel Management
• B. Department of Veteran's Affairs
• C. Department of Labor
• D. Air Force

Answer: (D)

Line of duty determinations decide whether an injury or illness happened in the course of duty and, if so, whether it qualifies a service member for disability retirement. This process is part of how the military evaluates and approving retirement based on disability, so the branch itself handles these determinations for its personnel. Among the options, the Air Force is the one that administers these LOD determinations when assessing eligibility for physical disability retirement. The civilian agencies listed don’t determine military disability retirement—OPM handles civilian federal retirement, VA deals with disability compensation after service, and DOL focuses on labor and employment programs rather than military disability retirement.