The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and coronary artery disease, finding that the Veteran's duties placed him on or near the base perimeter at Udorn RTAFB in Thailand. The COPD appeal was dismissed as withdrawn. Service connection is also granted for other conditions related to these two disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's duties placed him on or near the base perimeter, which satisfies the requirement for presumptive service connection due to herbicide agent exposure at Udorn RTAFB.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus type II, coronary artery disease, COPD, renal disability, peripheral vascular disease, left lower extremity, peripheral arterial disease, left lower extremity, peripheral vascular disease, right lower extremity, peripheral arterial disease, right lower extremity, diabetic neuropathy, left upper extremity, diabetic neuropathy, right upper extremity, diabetic neuropathy, left lower extremity, diabetic neuropathy, right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 25, 2023
- Citation
- 23047202
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 23047202.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between his current respiratory disability and active duty service. The VA examiner concluded that the COPD was more likely due to tobacco use rather than asbestos exposure in service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for coronary artery disease is being remanded due to the inadequacy of a previous VA examination.
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