The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete STRs and the need for additional development.
The deciding factor: Incomplete service treatment records require further efforts to obtain them, including those from his periods of service from June 1996 to March 1997 and September 1999 to November 2010. The Veteran is also required to provide any missing STRs.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, residuals of a ruptured eardrum, sinus disorder, asthma, ingrown hair on face and back of head, bilateral shoulder disorder (left rotator cuff repair), left bicep disorder, umbilical hernia, left ankle disorder, bilateral foot disorder (plantar fasciitis with heel spurs), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), skin disorder, headache disorder, cardiac disorder, respiratory disorder (COPD), upper gastrointestinal/digestive disorder, lower gastrointestinal/digestive disorder, neurologic/neuropsychological disorder, disorder manifested by joint and muscle pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 28, 2024
- Citation
- 24013121
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 24013121.
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 Veteran was granted a 70 percent initial disability rating for PTSD effective December 2, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent was denied. The appeal also included claims for service connection and ratings for various conditions, some of which were granted while others were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
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