Citation Nr: 1318636	
Decision Date: 06/07/13    Archive Date: 06/11/13

DOCKET NO.  12-17 683	)	DATE
	)
	)

On appeal from the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Hartford, Connecticut


THE ISSUE

Entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, claimed as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).


REPRESENTATION

Veteran represented by:	Disabled American Veterans


ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

L. Jeng, Counsel


INTRODUCTION

The Veteran served on active duty in the United States Army from November 1982 to January 1983. 
 
This case comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (the Board) on appeal from a March 2012 rating decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in Hartford, Connecticut, which denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD.

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


REMAND

In her VA Form 9, Appeal to Board of Veterans' Appeals, received in August 2012, 
the Veteran requested a formal personal hearing with the Board via videoconference hearing.  A hearing on appeal will be granted to an appellant who requests a hearing and is willing to appear in person.  38 C.F.R. § 3.103(c) (2012). 

Accordingly, the case is REMANDED for the following action:

Schedule the Veteran for a video conference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.  All correspondence, to specifically include any letters notifying the Veteran of the scheduled hearing should be associated with the claims folder.

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






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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. 2012).



_________________________________________________
MICHAEL A. PAPPAS
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) (2012).