The Veteran's claims for fibromyalgia, asthma, GERD, prostate disability, skin disabilities, and a mass removed from the back are all denied as there is no evidence of these conditions during service or within one year of separation. The Board found that the Veteran did not have any of these conditions due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims were based on presumed exposure to herbicides, but the diseases claimed (fibromyalgia, asthma, GERD, prostate disability, skin disabilities, and a mass removed from the back) are not listed among the presumptive diseases for which service connection can be awarded under 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(e).
- Claimed conditions
- fibromyalgia, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), prostate disability, skin disability (including actinic keratosis, furuncle-hand, cellulitis, folliculitis barbae, and phymatous rosacea), mass removed from the back
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 16, 2019
- Citation
- 19138026
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,030 · Granted: 17% (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 19138026.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraines was reopened due to new evidence. Service connection is granted for painful scars, but the rating assigned remains at 10 percent. The claims for fibromyalgia and bilateral shoulder disability are denied.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, fibromyalgia, and vertigo. The decision found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or a service-connected disability.
- Denied
The Veteran's respiratory disability, including asthma and COPD, is denied as service connection is not warranted due to the condition being solely attributed to smoking.
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