Citation Nr: 1324417	
Decision Date: 08/01/13    Archive Date: 08/13/13

DOCKET NO.  10-04 931	)	DATE
	)
	)

On appeal from the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in St. Petersburg, Florida

THE ISSUES

1. Entitlement to service connection for hearing loss disability in either ear, to include as a result of aggravation.

2. Entitlement to service connection for tinnitus.


REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by:	Disabled American Veterans


ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

Cheryl E. Handy, Associate Counsel


INTRODUCTION

The Veteran had active service from November 1963 to November 1965.

This matter is before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal of a rating decision in January 2008 of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The appeal is REMANDED to the RO via the Appeals Management Center in Washington, DC. 


REMAND

In a statement submitted in January 2010 the Veteran requested a hearing on his appeals, to be held before a member of the Board at the regional office.  He has not yet been afforded this hearing.

Accordingly, this case is REMANDED for the following action:

Schedule the Veteran for a hearing before the Board at the RO.

The appellant has the right to submit additional evidence and argument on the 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. 2012).


_________________________________________________
Mark D. Hindin
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).