The Veteran's appeal for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, right knee chondromalacia of the patella, and sleep apnea (also claimed as sleep disorder, jerking and restlessness) is remanded.,An effective date earlier than September 26, 2011 for the grant of service connection for PTSD is dismissed.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current symptoms do not meet the criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome or other distinct fatigue disorder. The medical opinion associates his fatigue with diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea.,No right knee injury during service, and no right knee symptoms within a year of service separation, preclude finding that the current right knee chondromalacia is related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic fatigue syndrome, right knee chondromalacia of the patella, sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19196136
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,886 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19196136.
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
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The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
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The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD.
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