The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, Type II due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during active duty at U-Tapao Royal Thai Air Base. Service connection was denied for left lower extremity neuropathy, left upper extremity neuropathy, right lower extremity neuropathy, and right upper extremity neuropathy as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and service. Sleep apnea and pressure in eyes were also not found to be related to service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during active duty at U-Tapao Royal Thai Air Base was presumed, and his diabetes mellitus is considered presumptively related to this exposure. The Board acknowledged the Veteran's credible statements regarding his duties near the perimeter of the base but found no evidence linking these conditions specifically to service.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, Type II, left lower extremity neuropathy, left upper extremity neuropathy, right lower extremity neuropathy, right upper extremity neuropathy, sleep apnea, pressure in eyes
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 21, 2021
- Citation
- 21003373
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 21003373.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease manifesting within one year after service and concluding that the current disability is not related to his in-service deviated septum.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran will be provided with a VA examination to determine if his current sleep disorder is related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the issue of service connection for sleep apnea due to insufficient medical opinions and need for further development.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claims for sleep apnea and an increased disability rating for diabetes mellitus, type II.
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