Citation Nr: 1122965	
Decision Date: 06/15/11    Archive Date: 06/28/11

DOCKET NO.  10-13 132	)	DATE
	)
	)

On appeal from the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) 
in Columbia, South Carolina



THE ISSUE

Entitlement to an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for the service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).



REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by:	Disabled American Veterans



ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

K. L. Wallin, Counsel



INTRODUCTION

The Veteran served on active duty from February 1978 to February 1981.   

This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal from a July 2008 rating decision of the VA RO in Columbia, South Carolina, which awarded service connection for PTSD and assigned an initial 30 percent rating from September 2007.

The appeal is being remanded to the RO via the Appeals Management Center (AMC), in Washington, DC.  VA will notify the Veteran if further action is required on his part.


REMAND

A preliminary review of the record shows that this matter is not ready for appellate disposition because of an outstanding VA hearing request by the Veteran.  

In the February 2010 Substantive Appeal, the Veteran requested that he should be afforded a videoconference hearing with the Board.  Therefore, the appeal must be remanded so the Veteran can be scheduled for a hearing as requested.  38 C.F.R. § 20.704 (2010).  

Accordingly, the case is REMANDED to the RO for the following action:

The RO should take appropriate steps to schedule the Veteran for a videoconference hearing with the Board at the next available opportunity.  Any indicated development should be undertaken in connection with this hearing request.  

Thereafter, if indicated, the case should be returned to the Board for the purpose of appellate disposition.  

The purpose of this REMAND is to satisfy a hearing request, and the Board does not intimate any opinion as to the merits of the case, either favorable or unfavorable, at this time.  

The Veteran is free to submit any additional evidence and argument on the matter or matters the Board has remanded.  Kutscherousky v. West, 12 Vet. App. 369 (1999).  

This claim must be afforded expeditious treatment.  The law requires that all claims that are remanded by the Board of Veterans' Appeals or by the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims for additional development or other appropriate action must be handled in an expeditious manner.  See 38 U.S.C.A. §§ 5109B, 7112 (West Supp. 2010).  



_________________________________________________
STEPHEN L. WILKINS
Veterans Law Judge, 
Board of Veterans' Appeals

Under 38 U.S.C.A. § 7252 (West 2002), only a decision of the Board of Veterans' Appeals is appealable to the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.  This remand is in the nature of a preliminary order and does not constitute a decision of the Board on the merits of your appeal.  38 C.F.R. § 20.1100(b) (2010).