The Board has remanded the claims due to lack of substantial compliance with its December 2017 remand. The AOJ is instructed to contact the Air Force Historical Research Agency and obtain any unit history and supporting documents related to the Veteran's alleged exposure to herbicides while stationed in Guam.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there has not been substantial compliance with its previous remand directive, which required contacting the Joint Services Records Research Center (JSRRC) and obtaining unit history records from the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
- Claimed conditions
- coronary artery disease (CAD)/ischemic heart disease, peripheral neuropathy, a skin disorder, hypertension, sleep apnea, leg stents
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 24, 2019
- Citation
- 19174038
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 19174038.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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