The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to in-service herbicide exposure, as well as the claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318, and the cause of death claim. The RO is instructed to verify the Veteran's claimed period of temporary active duty with the Air Force and obtain any relevant personnel records. Additionally, a VA opinion is needed regarding the relationship between in-service herbicide exposure and the Veteran’s kidney disability.
The deciding factor: The claims are remanded due to inconsistencies in the service record and the need for additional verification of the Veteran's claimed period of temporary active duty with the Air Force.
- Claimed conditions
- coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes mellitus, kidney disability (renal failure and chronic kidney disease)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 23, 2021
- Citation
- 21009866
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 21009866.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, right lower extremity peripheral artery disease, left lower extremity peripheral artery disease, and hypertension as the evidence did not establish an in-service event or exposure to herbicide agents.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection and TDIU are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of his coronary artery disease.
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