Citation Nr: 18155919
Decision Date: 12/06/18	Archive Date: 12/06/18

DOCKET NO. 17-20 258
DATE:	December 6, 2018
REMANDED
Entitlement to service connection for prostate cancer as a result of exposure to herbicides is remanded.
REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran served on active duty from September 1963 to September 1967.
This case comes on appeal to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) from an October 2014 rating decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in Waco, Texas.
The Veteran seeks service connection for prostate cancer as a result of exposure to herbicides while stationed in Guam.  He neither claims Vietnam service nor does the evidence reflect such service.
In September 2014, the RO’s JSRRC coordinator noted a “Section 5103 Notice was sent on 08/27/2014 asking the Veteran how his military duties exposed him to herbicides.  No additional response was received.”  However, in his March 2014 statement, the Veteran explained that although his duty assignment was in Guam, he worked on C-130 aircraft, which sprayed herbicides in Vietnam.  Furthermore, the coordinator did not explain why the information required to verify Agent Orange exposure was insufficient.
Accordingly, the Board finds the JSRRC coordinator’s efforts were insufficient, so a remand is needed for the AOJ to verify the Veteran’s claimed exposure to herbicides, to include Agent Orange, through the U.S. Army Joint Services Records Research Center (JSRRC) for his Guam service.
The matter is REMANDED for the following action:
1. Attempt to verify the claimed exposure to herbicides (to include Agent Orange) through JSRRC.  Specifically, send a request to JSRRC for verification as to whether the Veteran was potentially exposed to an herbicide agent during his period of service while stationed in Guam.  Any response from JSRRC should be associated with the record.
2. Arrange for any further development indicated by the development ordered above.
 
JOHN Z. JONES 
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	Denton, Buck