The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus and diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, finding that the Veteran's military duties placed him near the perimeter of U-Tapao AFB in Thailand, which is presumed to have exposed him to herbicide agents. The decision also found that his current conditions are secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran served near the perimeter of U-Tapao AFB and was therefore presumptively exposed to herbicide agents, leading to service connection for diabetes mellitus. For the lower extremity neuropathies, the Board found them secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19132734
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,776 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19132734.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, visual impairment, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran's claims were not granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection on the merits are being remanded due to new evidence and development needs. The maximum disability rating for tinnitus has already been assigned.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, right lower extremity peripheral artery disease, left lower extremity peripheral artery disease, and hypertension as the evidence did not establish an in-service event or exposure to herbicide agents.
- Granted
The Veteran's Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular Aid and Attendance is granted as of April 25, 2024.,For diabetes mellitus, a rating in excess of 20 percent is denied.
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