The Veteran's service was not considered qualifying active service for nonservice-connected pension benefits due to his preexisting degenerative joint disease of the ankles, which led to his early separation from military service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not meet the minimum 24-month requirement for eligibility to pension benefits as his disability preexisted service and was not aggravated by service.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative joint disease of the bilateral ankles
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19104077
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 has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral foot and ankle disabilities due to incomplete STRs, inadequate medical opinion, and need for further investigation.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for chronic myositis of the cervical and lumbar spine muscles, as well as degenerative joint disease of multiple joints including shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, ankles, and feet. These conditions are considered to be directly related to the Veteran's active service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
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