The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine and/or upper back disability, finding that there was no evidence of such disabilities during his active military service or due to any in-service injury. The Veteran's current neck and upper back issues are attributed to an undiagnosed illness associated with his Southwest Asia service.
The deciding factor: The Board found the Veteran's claims unsupported by medical evidence, as his service treatment records did not document chronic neck or upper back problems during active duty. The Veteran's contentions of injury from wearing night vision goggles were also deemed unsubstantiated due to inconsistencies in his reports and lack of contemporaneous documentation.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical spine, upper back
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 19, 2021
- Citation
- 21030684
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 21030684.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
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).
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