The Board has granted the Veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) and has determined that CML is related to exposure to burn pit smoke during active duty in Iraq. The effective date of this decision is not specified.
The deciding factor: The expert provided a medical opinion supporting the Veteran's contention that his CML was caused by exposure to burn pit smoke while on active duty, which significantly increased the risk for developing a malignancy.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML)
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19165559
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 19165559.
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 Board has determined that there is at least a 50% chance (equipoise) that the Veteran's Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) is related to his exposure to Agent Orange during his military service, and thus grants service connection for CML as secondary to herbicide exposure.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent from March 5, 2013 to January 7, 2016. A TDIU rating was granted effective March 5, 2013. The claim for service connection of CML remains pending.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete development regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for CML, including her allegations of exposure to burn pits and other environmental factors. The AOJ is instructed to obtain radiation dose information, verify her service in Iraq, Kuwait, and Bahrain, and gather information about chemical agent and oil well fire exposures during her service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion on whether plantar fasciitis was aggravated by active duty training.
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.