The Veteran's cause of death, a gastrointestinal stromal tumor, is presumed to be related to in-service exposure to burn pits and other toxins during his service in Southwest Asia during the Persian Gulf War. Service connection for the cause of death is granted.
The deciding factor: Service connection is granted based on presumptive exposure to burn pits and other toxins due to the Veteran's service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War, as defined by the PACT Act.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastrointestinal stromal tumor
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 3, 2026
- Citation
- A26018875
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 A26018875.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's gastrointestinal stromal tumor is considered service-connected due to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam, meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's gastrointestinal stromal tumor is being remanded for a VA medical opinion to determine if it was caused by in-service herbicide agent exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as new and material evidence was not presented. The Veteran's claim for a gastrointestinal stromal tumor was also denied due to lack of in-service diagnosis or exposure.
- Granted
The Board of Veterans' Appeals has granted service connection for PTSD and Mood Disorders, both presumed conditions under the PACT Act.
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