The Board has granted service connection for an undiagnosed illness manifested by muscle aches. The issues of entitlement to higher ratings for skin conditions, fibromyalgia, and major depressive disorder are remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's reports of unprovoked muscle aches during his deployment in the Southwest Asia Theater of Operations were found credible and service connection was granted based on presumptive exposure to Gulf War operations.
- Claimed conditions
- undiagnosed illness manifested by muscle aches
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20003819
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,677 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20003819.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a sebaceous cyst on the left arm, finding that it is etiologically related to service.,The Board has also granted service connection for a disability manifested by muscle aches, finding that it is due to an undiagnosed illness and manifesting during Southwest Asia service.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Whole decision: Granted
Service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is granted. The appeal as to the issue of entitlement to service connection for erectile dysfunction is dismissed.
- Whole decision: 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.
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