The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete service records, specifically those related to the Veteran's periods of active duty with the Air Force Reserve and Montana Air National Guard. The VA is instructed to verify these periods and obtain any associated service documentation.
The deciding factor: Incomplete service records have been identified which need to be verified and obtained for proper adjudication of the claims.
- Claimed conditions
- recurrent lumbosacral spine disability, recurrent right lower extremity disability (radiculopathy), recurrent left lower extremity disability (radiculopathy), recurrent left wrist disability (strain residuals), recurrent right knee disability (strain residuals and meniscectomy residuals)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 26, 2026
- Citation
- A26017554
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 A26017554.
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 claim for service connection for a recurrent lumbosacral spine disability, including spinal instrumentation and fusion residuals, is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for a recurrent lumbosacral spine disability and hypertension are being remanded due to the need for additional verification of his National Guard service records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's recurrent lumbosacral spine disability is related to his service-connected right knee and left knee disabilities. The VA will need to schedule a new examination to determine this relationship.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete records from the Veteran's Air Force Reserve and Wisconsin Air National Guard duty.
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