The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to exposure to herbicide agents, including Agent Orange exposure while stationed in Thailand. The appellant is seeking presumptive service connection based on her husband's alleged exposure to herbicides during his military service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran did not engage in activities at or near the perimeter of Air Force bases in Thailand and hence exposure to herbicide agents could not be supported on that basis. The appeal is remanded for further development to determine if the appellant's husband served with duties near the base perimeter.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis, pneumonia, ischemic heart disease, diabetes, left hand peripheral neuropathy, right hand peripheral neuropathy, right foot peripheral neuropathy, left foot peripheral neuropathy, prostate cancer
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 19, 2023
- Citation
- 23003396
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 23003396.
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 the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, including ischemic heart disease. The evidence did not support a finding of a current disability related to service.
- Denied
The Veteran's respiratory disability, including asthma and COPD, is denied as service connection is not warranted due to the condition being solely attributed to smoking.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer, bone cancer, and lymph node cancer has been granted. The prostate cancer is presumed due to herbicide agent exposure during service at RTAFB Takhli. Bone cancer is secondary to the service-connected prostate cancer. Lymph node cancer is also considered secondary to prostate cancer.
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