The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development regarding his claim of service connection for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The Board will seek information about the nature and extent of any exposure to chemicals or radiation during his military service as a nuclear, biological, and chemical specialist.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has not provided sufficient evidence to establish service connection for CLL due to lack of exposure data from his MOS duties.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic kidney disease (CKD), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 1, 2023
- Citation
- 23042245
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 23042245.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain a medical examination regarding the severity of his residuals from chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), including chronic fatigue. The initial compensable rating for CLL remains denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that new evidence has been received to reconsider the claims for service connection for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The claims are being remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic kidney disease (CKD) with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is denied as the earliest effective date possible is August 2, 2024. The PACT Act did not establish CKD as a presumptive disease relating to herbicide agent exposure and MGUS was diagnosed after the liberalizing law.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for CLL, B-cell leukemia, and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma on a presumptive basis due to in-service herbicide exposure. The Veteran served within the territorial sea of the Republic of Vietnam during his active duty.
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.