The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including kidney cancer, ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and arthritis of multiple joints. The claims are being reviewed to determine if there is evidence of exposure to herbicide agents or other contaminants during service in Vieques, Puerto Rico.
The deciding factor: The Board found insufficient information to verify the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents while stationed at Vieques, Puerto Rico, and thus remanded for further development.
- Claimed conditions
- kidney cancer, ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, arthritis of the hands, arthritis of the shoulders, arthritis of the ankles, arthritis of the spine, arthritis of the hips
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19173486
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19173486.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, including ischemic heart disease. The evidence did not support a finding of a current disability related to service.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is granted as presumptively related to his service in the Gulf War, specifically aboard the USS Chanticleer and USS Mataco.
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