The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, as evidenced by exposure to constant, excessive noise during his MOS as a chaparral crewman. Service connection is granted for these conditions.,The Veteran's major depressive disorder is related to his military service, with the same in-service stressors cited for PTSD. Service connection is granted for this condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's MOS as a chaparral crewman exposed him to constant, excessive noise during service, which is sufficient to establish an in-service event and link his current hearing loss and tinnitus to his military service.,The same in-service stressors cited for PTSD are also linked to the Veteran's major depressive disorder. Since these events are credible and supported by the Veteran's testimony, they constitute an in-service event that links his current depression to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Major Depressive Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 16, 2022
- Citation
- 22009278
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 22009278.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
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