The Board has determined that additional development is needed to confirm the Veteran's service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations and to obtain a medical opinion regarding the etiology of his claimed Gulf War illness.
The deciding factor: The Board found insufficient evidence to establish the Veteran’s service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations, which is required for claims under 38 U.S.C. § 1117. Additionally, the current VA examinations were deemed inadequate and a new examination with medical opinions is needed.
- Claimed conditions
- musculoskeletal pain, bone growths, muscle weakness, paresthesias
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 2, 2019
- Citation
- 19190449
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 19190449.
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 remands all service connection claims for additional development, including obtaining a TERA memorandum and new medical opinions.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for fatigue and musculoskeletal pain due to an undiagnosed illness, effective May 20, 2005, based on clear and unmistakable error in a prior December 2005 rating decision.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for muscle weakness, anoxic brain injury, heart failure, and dysphagia as secondary to respiratory failure with hypoxia, and denied special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance or housebound status.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for muscle weakness as it was not shown to be secondary to a service-connected disability.
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