The Board has determined that the Veteran's service with the U.S. Coast Guard, including participation in search and rescue missions, qualifies as a credible stressor for PTSD. As such, the claim for service connection for PTSD is granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's account of his service-related stressors was found to be credible based on evidence from his military records and personal documents, which supported his claimed experiences in search and rescue operations.
- Claimed conditions
- posttraumatic stress syndrome (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2009
- Citation
- 0916234
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 0916234.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for posttraumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) due to the evidence being in equipoise as to whether PTSD is due to active service.
- Granted
The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, asthma, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. Therefore, the Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal, leaving only the evaluation of sleep apnea. The appeal for PTSD was withdrawn separately.
- Granted
The Veteran's non-VA emergency care for appendicitis was reimbursed as she had utilized VA healthcare in the previous 24 months, and her claim is granted.
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