Citation Nr: 18139926 Decision Date: 10/01/18 Archive Date: 10/01/18 DOCKET NO. 16-16 132 DATE: October 1, 2018 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for a right foot condition, claimed as residuals of fracture, is REMANDED. Entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is REMANDED. Entitlement to service connection for tinnitus is REMANDED. Entitlement to service connection for diabetes is REMANDED. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran had active service from July 1965 to November 1966. The Veteran had periods of ACDUTRA or INACDUTRA in the Reserve or National Guard service from 1981 to 1990. 1. Entitlement to service connection for a right foot condition, claimed as residuals of fracture, is remanded. The Veteran’s service treatment records (STRs) from the period of service in 1965 to 1966 are unavailable per memo dated March 2015. The Veteran claimed in the April 2018 Board hearing that she broke her foot playing softball and was put in a cast while in her first period of active service at Maxwell Air Force Base. The Veteran’s DD-214 shows she was separated from Maxwell Air Force base in 1966. An August 2014 VA treatment record documents complaints of ongoing right foot pain with a claim that it resulted from a broken foot in service. The Veteran has not been afforded a VA examination with X-ray to determine if there is a current disability of the right foot and if it may be related to active service. The Veteran should be afforded a VA examination of the right foot. 2. Entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded. The Veteran claimed in the April 2018 Board hearing that during active service her office was located adjacent to the flight line, as such she had exposure to hazardous noise on a regular basis and she has difficulty hearing currently. The Veteran’s records do not contain a current hearing loss test in order to determine if she has a current hearing loss disability. The Veteran should be afforded a VA audiological examination to determine if she has a current hearing loss disability and if so, whether it is related to service. 3. Entitlement to service connection for tinnitus is remanded. The Veteran claimed in the April 2018 Board hearing that during active service her office was located adjacent to the flight line, as such she had exposure to hazardous noise on a regular basis and she has tinnitus that manifests as high pitched noises. The Veteran’s records do not contain a current audiological test in order to determine if she has symptoms of tinnitus. The Veteran should be afforded a VA audiological examination to determine if she has a current diagnosis of tinnitus and if so, whether it is related to service. 4. Entitlement to service connection for diabetes is remanded. According to the Veteran’s written statement dated May 2016 and her testimony at the April 2018 Board hearing, the Veteran gained 55 pounds at basic training per instructions from her superiors. As a result, the Veteran contends that she developed diabetes that continues to this day. The Veteran’s available STRs show that she was diagnosed with diabetes during her time in the Reserve or Air National Guard, and that in February 1990, the command ordered that the Veteran undergo a Medical Evaluation Board to determine if she should be released from service because of her diabetes. According to a March 3, 1990 note in the STR, the Veteran’s blood sugar had “normalized” after weight loss and the doctor noted the Veteran’s diabetes was “very sensitive to weight loss.” The Veteran’s available STRs also document regular concerns about weight loss, although an October 1987 medical determination stated that the Veteran’s acceptable weight was 188 pounds and her other records showed she was generally below that weight during service. The Veteran’s current records show she is prescribed insulin and has diabetes. The Veteran should be afforded a VA examination to determine if the current diagnosis of diabetes is related to the diabetes diagnosed in the 1980s. The Veteran’s dates of service for active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INADCUTRA) are of record. The matters are REMANDED for the following action: 1. Obtain the Veteran’s VA treatment records for the period from November 2015 to present. 2. The VA treatment note dated September 3, 2014 states that the Veteran sees multiple outside doctors. With the assistance of the Veteran, determine if there are any outstanding private treatment records and obtain them. 3. Schedule the Veteran for an examination by an appropriate clinician to determine the nature and etiology of any right foot condition or residuals of right foot fracture. The examiner must opine whether it is at least as likely as not related to an in-service injury, event, or disease, including the Veteran’s claim that she fractured her right foot playing softball in 1965 to 1966. The examiner should also opine whether a right foot condition or residuals of right foot fracture at least as likely as not (1) began during active service, (2) manifested within one year after discharge from service, or (3) was noted during service with continuity of the same symptomatology since service. The examiner is informed that some of the Veteran’s records from 1965 to 1966 may be unavailable. 4. Schedule the Veteran for an examination by an appropriate clinician to determine the nature and etiology of any bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The examiner must opine whether it is at least as likely as not related to an in-service injury, event, or disease, including the Veteran’s claim that she worked in an office adjacent to the flight line. 5. The examiner should also opine whether bilateral hearing loss and/or tinnitus at least as likely as not (1) began during active service, (2) manifested within one year after discharge from service, or (3) was noted during service with continuity of the same symptomatology since service. 6. The examiner is informed that some of the Veteran’s records from 1965 to 1966 may be unavailable. 7. Schedule the Veteran for an examination by an appropriate clinician to determine the nature and etiology of any diabetes. The examiner must opine whether it is at least as likely as not related to an in-service injury, event, or disease, including the Veteran’s claim that she gained 55 pounds during her initial basic training in 1965. The examiner should opine to the best of his/her ability with the available treatment records the date that the Veteran was first diagnosed with diabetes. The examiner should also opine whether diabetes at least as likely as not (1) began during active service, (2) manifested within one year after discharge from service, or (3) was noted during service with continuity of the same symptomatology since service. The examiner should also opine whether the Veteran’s diabetic condition noted in the STRs from 1989 to 1990 resolved completely prior to separation from service in September 1990, see note dated March 3, 1990. The examiner is informed that some of the Veteran’s records from 1965 to 1966 may be unavailable. DAVID L. WIGHT Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD Miller, Erin (BVA)