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WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Robert Gates says troops injured in combat are still facing too many bureaucratic hurdles.

He says paperwork alone for them can be "frustrating, adversarial, and unnecessarily complex."

Gates spoke Monday at a mental health summit with Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. They have pledged to create a system that would make it easier for the Pentagon and VA to exchange information so there is less of a wait for veterans to get disability benefits.

Among U.S. troops who have fought in the recent wars, Gates says brain injuries and mental health ailments are "widespread, entrenched and insidious." He says the military continues to face a shortage of mental health professionals as it works to tackles the issue.