The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran was exposed to Agent Orange while serving aboard the USS Passumpsic in Vietnam. The VA needs to confirm whether the ship's service placed the Veteran within the 12 nautical mile territorial sea of Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is insufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran served within the 12 nautical mile territorial sea of Vietnam, which would allow for presumptive service connection under Agent Orange exposure regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Malignant neoplasm due to or as a consequence of lung cancer
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20003740
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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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.