The Board denied the Veteran's request for reentrance into a VR&E program for additional education to prepare for suitable employment in healthcare or finance, as he was found not to have an employment handicap.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran currently needed additional education or vocational training due to his service-connected disabilities and previous rehabilitation status.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with alcohol use disorder, Right upper extremity cervical radiculopathy associated with cervical spondylosis, status post C4-C5 and C5-C6 fusion, to include degenerative arthritis, Left upper extremity cervical radiculopathy associated with cervical spondylosis, status post C4-C5 and C5-C6 fusion, to include degenerative arthritis, Cervical spondylosis, status post C4-C5 and C5-C6 fusion, to include degenerative arthritis associated with status post bone graft from hip to maxilla, Loss of sense of smell, Facial scars, including loss of sensation of upper lip area due to trauma, Left hip donor site scar, Residuals of status post bone graft from hip to maxilla, Tinnitus, Deviated nasal septum, status post septoplasty, Surgical scar of the cervical spine associated with cervical spondylosis, status post C4-C5 and C5-C6 fusion, to include degenerative arthritis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Hemorrhoids associated with IBS
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 26, 2025
- Citation
- A25028162
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of September 2, 2020, for the grant of service connection for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) but denied a higher initial rating and TDIU.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 17, 2019, for a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
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