The Veteran's appeal for VR&E services was denied because he declined to continue the rehabilitation process and did not provide persuasive evidence that he is unable to obtain suitable employment without additional education and training.
The deciding factor: The Veteran declined employment assistance offered through the VR&E program, which led to his case being discontinued. The Board found no need for additional education or retraining as per the new VRC's evaluation of the Veteran’s case after its transfer to Iowa.
- Claimed conditions
- Anxiety, Sleep problems, Neck/back pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19103372
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a heart disability, to include coronary artery disease (CAD), as secondary to the Veteran's anxiety and assigned a 70 percent rating from April 29, 2025. The Board also granted an initial 30 percent rating prior to that date.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, while remanding claims for depression, anxiety, sleep disorder, right knee strain, left knee strain, and lumbar spine strain.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, depression, anxiety, agitation, and sleep issues, due to in-service military sexual trauma (MST).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and substance/alcohol use disorders, due to inadequate VA examination and missing Vet Center records.
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