Citation Nr: 18153780 Decision Date: 11/29/18 Archive Date: 11/28/18 DOCKET NO. 16-50 132 DATE: November 29, 2018 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disorder to include post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from February 1989 to March 1992. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a November 2015 rating decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in San Diego, California. The Board notes that, particularly with respect to psychiatric disorders, a claim of service connection encompasses all pertinent symptomatology, regardless of how that symptomatology is diagnosed. See Clemons v. Shinseki, 23 Vet. App. 1 (2009). In light of Clemons, the Board recharacterized the issue on appeal as reflected above. The Veteran asserts that he has PTSD due to his active service. He reported that he served in Panama from December 23, 1989 to March 10, 1990 with Operation Just Cause and that he experienced events that led to the PTSD. On a VA Form 21-0781 completed by the Veteran, he stated that the unit to which he was assigned during Operation Just Cause was H.H.C. 1st Brigade, 7th Infantry Division, and that he received an Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. The Veteran asserts that when they landed in Panama, they were under fire from the enemy in the jungle. He stated that he saw dead bodies in the streets and in the morgue where he was stationed. The Veteran stated that at the end of the war, the Panama Defense Force turned their weapons in for cash at the base where he was stationed and he was afraid of the forces turning in the weapons. See the May 2016 VA Form 21-0781. The Veteran submitted copies of his pay stubs showing payment of hostile pay in 1989. Review of the Veteran’s official military personnel file shows that the Veteran was assigned to H.H.C. 9th Infantry Regiment. The Board finds that a remand is necessary to conduct further development of the Veteran’s claimed stressor events. The agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) requested verification of the Veteran’s stressor events from the U.S. Army and Joint Service Records Research Center (JSRRC) in July 2015. The October 2015 response indicated “We researched the Operation Just Cause historical information available to this agency. We were unable to locate information concerning the stressor incident based upon the information provided. If the base camp location name could be provided where the incident occurred, we may be able to perform further research.” The Board finds that the AOJ should make another search for the Veteran’s service personnel records for the record of assignments and/or unit of assignments for the Veteran. The AOJ should contact the Joint Services Records Research Center (JSRRC) to attempt to verify where the Veteran served from December 23, 1989 to March 10, 1990 and whether the Veteran served in Panama with Operation Just Cause from December 23, 1989 to March 10, 1990. The AOJ should request verification as to whether the H.H.C. 9th Infantry Regiment served in Panama from December 23, 1989 to March 10, 1990. The matter is REMANDED for the following action: 1. Search for the Veteran’s service personnel records to include the record of assignments and/or unit of assignments for his period of service. 2. Contact the JSRRC and request that organization to research where the Veteran served from December 23, 1989 to March 10, 1990 and whether the Veteran served in Panama with Operation Just Cause from December 23, 1989 to March 10, 1990. The AOJ should request information as to whether the H.H.C. 9th Infantry Regiment served in Panama from December 23, 1989 to March 10, 1990. THOMAS H. O'SHAY Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD C.L. Krasinski, Counsel