Citation Nr: 18141914 Decision Date: 10/12/18 Archive Date: 10/11/18 DOCKET NO. 16-22 245 DATE: October 12, 2018 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for a right ankle disability, to include as secondary to service-connected pes planus, is remanded. Entitlement to service connection for a left knee disability, to include as secondary to a claimed right ankle disability and/or service-connected pes planus, is remanded. Entitlement to service connection for a right knee disability, to include as secondary to a claimed right ankle disability and/or service-connected pes planus, is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from January 1988 to January 1992. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from an August 2015 rating decision. 1. Entitlement to service connection for a right ankle disability, to include as secondary to service-connected pes planus, is remanded. 2. Entitlement to service connection for a left knee disability, to include as secondary to a claimed right ankle disability and/or service-connected pes planus, is remanded. 3. Entitlement to service connection for a right knee disability, to include as secondary to a claimed right ankle disability and/or service-connected pes planus, is remanded. The Veteran’s Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214) shows the Veteran had active service from January 1988 to January 1992. However, the Veteran stated that he continued to serve after January 1992 and separated from active service in June 1992. The Veteran also detailed that he served in Panama. The Veteran provided that his right ankle injury occurred during his active service in Panama. See October 2015 Notice of Disagreement (NOD). Specifically, the Veteran stated that he broke his right ankle while in Panama and removed the cast himself to return to his squad on patrol. See December 2015 Statement in Support of Claim (VA Form 21-4138). The claims folder does not demonstrate that the Veteran had active service past January 1992, served in Panama, or sustained an ankle injury. However, based on the Veteran’s statements, VA must request verification of all dates of the Veteran’s active service. Should VA determine additional dates of verified active service, the Veteran’s service personnel records and service treatment records from those dates must be obtained. On remand, the Veteran should also be scheduled for an appropriate VA examination to obtain a medical opinion as to whether his service-connected pes planus caused or aggravated any current right ankle or bilateral knee disorder. See 38 C.F.R. § 3.310. The matters are REMANDED for the following action: 1. Obtain any updated, relevant VA and/or private treatment records. 2. Contact the National Personnel Research Center (NPRC) and/or other appropriate unit records depository and research agency and request verification of all dates the Veteran’s active service (in addition to the already-verified period of active service from January 1988 to January 1992.) In particular, the Veteran asserts that he served on active duty (to include in Panama) from January 1992 to June 1992. Document all requests for information as well as all responses in the claims folder. 3. Obtain the Veteran’s complete service personnel records and service treatment records from all periods of active service not previously verified. 4. Next, schedule the Veteran for an examination by an appropriate clinician to determine the nature and etiology of any right ankle disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability. (a.) Identify any current right ankle, right knee, and left knee disability. Right ankle: (b.) The examiner must opine whether any identified right ankle disability is at least as likely as not (50% or greater probability) related to an in-service injury, event, or disease, including a claimed right ankle injury during active service in Panama between January 1992 and June 1992. (c.) The examiner must opine whether any identified right ankle disability is at least as likely as not (i) proximately due to service-connected pes planus, or (ii) aggravated beyond its natural progression by service-connected pes planus, to include by any alteration in gait associated with pes planus. Right knee: (d.) The examiner must opine whether any identified right knee disability is at least as likely as not (i) proximately due to service-connected pes planus, or (ii) aggravated beyond its natural progression by service-connected pes planus, to include by any alteration in gait associated with pes planus. Left knee: (e.) The examiner must opine whether any identified left knee disability is at least as likely as not (i) proximately due to service-connected pes planus, or (ii) aggravated beyond its natural progression by service-connected pes planus, to include by any alteration in gait associated with pes planus. (f.) If it is determined that the Veteran’s right ankle disorder is service connected, then the examiner should also opine whether any identified left knee and/or right knee disability is at least as likely as not (i) proximately due to the right ankle disability, or (ii) aggravated beyond its natural progression by the right ankle disability, to include by any alteration in gait associated with the right ankle disability. All examination findings, along with the complete rationale for all opinions expressed, must be set forth in the examination report. P.M. DILORENZO Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD S. Mussey, Associate Counsel