The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for Type 2 diabetes mellitus, finding that there was no in-country service or visitation in Vietnam and thus no presumptive exposure to Agent Orange. The Board also found that the current diagnosis of diabetes did not manifest within one year of separation from service.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not establish in-service exposure to Agent Orange and the veteran's current Type 2 diabetes mellitus is not related to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 2, 2006
- Citation
- 0615979
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,374 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0615979.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher level of SMC was denied as the Board found that he is already in receipt of SMC at the (l) rate based on need for regular aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease with congestive heart failure. A second award of SMC at the (l) rate based on need for regular aid and attendance was not warranted.
- Granted
The Board vacates the September 2022 decision denying service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus due to the passage of the PACT Act, which expanded presumptive exposure to herbicides. The Veteran's service was not found to be in offshore Vietnam or any other location where herbicide exposure is presumed. As a result, his claim for service connection cannot be substantiated.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused by a disability incurred in or aggravated during his military service, and the Board denied entitlement to service connection for the cause of death.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for migraine headaches was denied as there were no prostrating attacks. The claim for TDIU was also denied due to the Veteran's ability to maintain a substantially gainful occupation despite his service-connected disabilities.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.