The Board found that the Veteran's reported in-service sexual assault stressor has not been verified and does not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of credible supporting evidence. The Veteran was diagnosed with a personality disorder in service, which is considered non-service-connected, and he does not have a currently diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorder related to service.
The deciding factor: The reported in-service sexual assault stressor has not been corroborated by credible supporting evidence, including service records or other sources of information. The Veteran's accounts of the incident are inconsistent and do not align with the available evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder (including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD))
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 30, 2016
- Citation
- 1612801
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1612801.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, due to a lack of verified in-service stressor and medical evidence.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service-connected. Bilateral hearing loss and OSA are denied.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was not shown to be related to service and the Board denied his claim.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, and bilateral hearing loss are not related to his active service.
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