The Veteran's character of discharge for the period from December 1998 to October 2001 is dishonorable based on willful and persistent misconduct, which constitutes a bar to receipt of VA compensation benefits. The appeal for service connection for undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness, numbness of the lip and jaw, bilateral hammertoes, residuals of traumatic brain injury, and deviated septum is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's discharge was based on willful and persistent misconduct, which constitutes a regulatory bar to receipt of VA compensation benefits.
- Claimed conditions
- undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness, idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, spondylitis, autoimmune disease, chronic fatigue, numbness of the lip and jaw
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19125657
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a head injury, headache disorder, erectile dysfunction, left earache disorder, chronic fatigue, right shoulder disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, right foot disorder, GERD, and left shoulder disorder, as the evidence did not support current diagnoses of these conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including cervical spine, chronic fatigue, and various nerve damages, as the evidence did not support a finding of a current disability related to in-service events.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including inadequate VA examinations and failure to obtain etiological opinions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hypertension, a right knee disorder, a left knee disorder, a neck disorder, and chronic fatigue. The claims for obstructive sleep apnea, headache disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder were remanded.
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.