The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, Parkinson's disease, and ischemic heart disease due to herbicide exposure. The VA is instructed to verify the Veteran's claimed exposure at Ubon Air Force Base in Thailand and provide an opinion on whether the fasting blood sugar note was an early indicator of diabetes.
The deciding factor: The Board found that verification of the Veteran's exposure to herbicides, specifically Agent Orange, during his service at Ubon Air Force Base is necessary before a determination can be made regarding the claims for service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus type II, Parkinson's disease, ischemic heart disease
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 17, 2021
- Citation
- 21069164
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 21069164.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board grants service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's tinnitus began during his period of active duty service. The claims for ischemic heart disease, aortic valve replacement, status post aortic stenosis, and peripheral vascular disease with popliteal aneurysm are remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case to obtain a new medical opinion regarding the Veteran's ischemic heart disease, as the previous opinions were found inadequate.
- Dismissed
The appeal seeking entitlement to service connection for Parkinson's disease was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for coronary atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, and penile cancer as there was no evidence of a medical nexus between the Veteran's conditions and his military service.
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