The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD has been granted, with the effective date set at June 23, 2017.,Service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome is also granted, but an earlier effective date prior to June 23, 2017, was denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's COPD has been satisfactorily linked to service exposure to burn pits and other environmental hazards during his deployment in the Gulf War. The Board found that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the COPD had its onset in service, warranting service connection.,Service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome was granted based on the Veteran's consistent reports of symptoms since discharge, but an earlier effective date prior to June 23, 2017, could not be established.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD, chronic fatigue syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19193439
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 19193439.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for COPD, finding that the evidence does not support a link between the Veteran's respiratory condition and his military service, including exposure to Agent Orange.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 60 percent disability rating for chronic fatigue syndrome and a 30 percent disability rating for sinusitis, while remanding the claims for service connection for an ovarian condition and increased ratings for tension headaches.
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