Citation Nr: 18143648 Decision Date: 10/23/18 Archive Date: 10/19/18 DOCKET NO. 15-00 564A DATE: October 23, 2018 ORDER Entitlement to service connection for other trauma and stressor-related disorder is granted. REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for a right leg disorder is remanded. FINDING OF FACT Resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran’s favor, his other trauma and stressor-related disorder is at least as likely as not related to his military service. CONCLUSION OF LAW The criteria for service connection for other trauma and stressor-related disorder have been met. 38 U.S.C. §§ 1110, 5103, 5103A, 5107; 38 C.F.R. §§ 3.159, 3.303, 3.304. REASONS AND BASES FOR FINDING AND CONCLUSION The Veteran had active military service from February 1969 to February 1972. The Veteran testified before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge during an April 2017 hearing. This matter is on appeal from a July 2011 rating decision and was previously remanded by the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) in August 2017. 1. Entitlement to service connection for other trauma and stressor-related disorder. The Veteran contends that he has an acquired psychiatric disorder due to being in a convoy that was ambushed during his service in Vietnam. April 2017 Hearing Transcript at 3. The Board concludes that the Veteran has a current diagnosis of other trauma and stressor-related disorder that is related to his in-service experiences. 38 U.S.C. §§ 1110, 1131, 5107(b); Holton v. Shinseki, 557 F.3d 1363, 1366 (Fed. Cir. 2009); 38 C.F.R. § 3.303(a). An April 2016 VA initial posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) examination shows that the Veteran has a current diagnosis of other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder, and the October 2017 VA examiner opined that it was at least as likely as not caused by or a result of military service. The rationale was that the Veteran's PTSD symptoms, hypervigilance, feelings of detachment from others, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and intense psychological distress at exposure to internal/external cues that symbolized or resembled an aspect of the trauma were related to experiences during military service. This positive opinion is further supported by a June 2011 VA examination showing a diagnosis of mild chronic adjustment disorder in which the examiner opined that the overall picture was of a Veteran who made satisfactory psychological adjustment prior to his military service, but after being exposed to several traumatic events while in the military, the Veteran had showed some symptoms of anxiety and depression following those events. While the Veteran's reported experiences during service have not been corroborated, service connection for PTSD specifically requires corroboration of stressors aside from those consisting of a fear of hostile military activity. As the Board is granting service connection for other trauma and stressor-related disorder, and not PTSD, the requirement of a corroborated stressor does not apply. Therefore, considering the above medical opinions, service connection for other trauma and stressor-related disorder is granted. REASONS FOR REMAND 1. Entitlement to service connection for a right leg disorder is remanded. Unfortunately, there has not been substantial compliance with the Board’s previous remand directives. The Board directed that the Veteran's treatment records be obtained. An October 2017 VA knee and lower leg conditions examination references VA records dating back to 1997; those are not of record. Another remand is required to obtain the Veteran's complete VA records. Stegall v. West, 11 Vet. App. 268, 271 (1998). The matter is REMANDED for the following action: (Continued on the next page)   In accordance with the provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 3.159(c)(1), make efforts to obtain all records identified by the Veteran, including any outstanding VA treatment records dating back to April 1997. All records obtained pursuant to this search must be added to the claims file. A. C. MACKENZIE Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD L. Barstow, Counsel