The Veteran's claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus II is granted due to exposure to commercial herbicides while serving in Thailand. The Board found the evidence sufficient to establish that he was exposed to these agents and thus his diabetes is presumed associated with this exposure.
The deciding factor: The Veteran served at airbases where commercial herbicide use on the perimeter was documented, and he worked on the flight line which put him near the area treated with these agents. His service records support his claim of exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus II
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 14, 2019
- Citation
- 19146640
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,828 · Granted: 32% (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 19146640.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus II and associated conditions have produced impairment inconsistent with obtaining or following substantially gainful employment from June 12, 2017, to March 5, 2024. The Board grants a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for this period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to errors in developing evidence related to possible ionizing radiation exposure and TERA participation. The claim will be reconsidered with proper development of this information.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of April 10, 2018 for the establishment of service connection for diabetes mellitus II (DMII), finding that the Veteran's condition was directly related to his military service and exposure to toxic substances.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for accrued benefits for diabetes mellitus II, finding that the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Vietnam is presumed and that he currently has a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus II.
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