The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and a heart disability due to potential exposure to herbicide agents while serving aboard the USS Agerholm in Vietnam. The Veteran's service records indicate he was in the territorial waters of Vietnam, which may establish presumptive exposure.
The deciding factor: The ship deck logs submitted by the Veteran suggest that the USS Agerholm operated in the territorial waters of Vietnam during his service, potentially establishing presumptive herbicide agent exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, heart disorder
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20006306
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 the claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus to obtain further medical opinions regarding their potential relationship to toxic exposures during active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for right foot, left elbow, left hip, left ankle, and diabetes mellitus to obtain additional medical evidence.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a heart disorder, specifically atrial fibrillation, due to exposure to herbicide agents during active duty service in the Republic of Vietnam.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for cervical spine condition, diabetes mellitus, heart condition, lumbar spine condition, and urinary frequency and voiding condition as there was no evidence of a current diagnosis or in-service incurrence or aggravation.
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