The Board found that the July 2003 RO decision granting service connection for PTSD was clearly and unmistakably erroneous due to an error in fact regarding the veteran's qualification with the M-60 machine gun, leading to a denial of service connection. The January 2004 RO decision then severed this service connection.
The deciding factor: The July 2003 RO decision granted service connection for PTSD based on the veteran's reported stressor as a helicopter gunner and his receipt of the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with 60 Device, which was incorrectly interpreted to indicate qualification with the M-60 machine gun.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 10, 2006
- Citation
- 0607009
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, as it needs a medical opinion addressing the nature and etiology of the condition prior to October 16, 2023.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another since September 30, 2020.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and right hand strain, increased the ratings for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, dyshidrotic eczema, and hypertension, and denied service connection for Parkinsonism, pes planus/flat feet, GERD, tinea versicolor, allergic rhinitis, and tinnitus. The Board also granted a TDIU.
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