The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II (DMII), peripheral neuropathy, and residuals of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) as secondary to DMII due to exposure to herbicide agents in Guam.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service treatment records, service personnel records, and VA treatment records have been obtained. The Veteran has submitted extensive documentation in support of his claims regarding alleged herbicide exposure in Guam. The Board directed the AOJ to request a review of the DoD inventory of herbicide operations to determine whether herbicides were used or tested as alleged.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, type II (DMII), peripheral neuropathy, residuals of cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 2, 2021
- Citation
- 21040038
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 21040038.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II (DMII), as secondary to a service-connected disability. The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran and finds that his obesity is due, at least in part, to his service-connected musculoskeletal disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's spouse is seeking to be substituted as the appellant for claims of service connection filed by the Veteran in August 2017. The AOJ has not yet determined whether she meets the requirements to substitute, and this issue must be remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for DMII, bilateral lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and bowel resection are granted. The claim for OSA is denied.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II (DMII) with bilateral lower extremity neuropathy and hypertension due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service. The Board found that there was no exposure to herbicide agents during service and that the Veteran did not have any in-service onset or relationship between his current conditions and his military service.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.