The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to uncertainty about the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his military service, particularly at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base and Eglin Air Force Base. The AOJ is instructed to verify these alleged exposures.
The deciding factor: The Board found insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran’s exposure to herbicide agents in Thailand and at Eglin Air Force Base, which is necessary for a determination on service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- heart disease, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, kidney disease, skin disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20024822
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 20024822.
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 has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, visual impairment, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran's claims were not granted.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back disorder, skin disorder, tongue condition, right chest costochondritis, and right hand shaking due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection on the merits are being remanded due to new evidence and development needs. The maximum disability rating for tinnitus has already been assigned.
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