The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder, finding that the Veteran's current MDD is related to his multiple deployments in quick succession and exposure to anti-pirate operations during those deployments.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's lay statements regarding symptoms following multiple deployments were found credible, supported by military personnel records. A medical opinion confirmed the link between service events and current MDD diagnosis.
- Claimed conditions
- Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- December 23, 2025
- Citation
- A25110384
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 878 · Granted: 46% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A25110384.
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 has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
- Granted
The Veteran's Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is found to have begun during their active duty service and continues to this day, meeting the criteria for service connection.
- Denied
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder with TBI is rated at 70 percent, but the appeal for a higher rating is denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for her service-connected MDD with PTSD was denied. The evidence did not show total occupational and social impairment, despite the Veteran maintaining full-time employment.
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