Citation Nr: 18156414
Decision Date: 12/11/18	Archive Date: 12/07/18

DOCKET NO. 18-34 800
DATE:	December 11, 2018
REMANDED
Entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include major depressive disorder (MDD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is remanded.
REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran served on active duty from February 1945 to January 1946, and from November 1950 to August 1952.  His awards and decorations include the Combat Infantryman Badge.
This matter comes to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) from a November 2016 rating decision of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) which denied service connection for MDD and PTSD.  
The Veteran contends that his MDD and PTSD are due to his combat experiences in Korea. 
In connection with his claim, the Veteran was scheduled for a November 2016 VA examination but he failed to appear.  The record shows that a letter was mailed to him requesting that he contact VA to reschedule the examination, but he did not respond.  The record, however, reflects that the letter was mailed to an incorrect address was returned by postal authorities as undeliverable.  The record also reflects that other correspondence to the Veteran was sent to the wrong address was returned as undeliverable.
In an October 2018 appeal brief, the Veteran’s representative stated that the Veteran is able and willing to report to any medical examination in support of his benefits claim.  In light of the circumstances, this matter is remanded to afford the Veteran another opportunity to have a VA medical examination.
The matter is REMANDED for the following action:
1. Ensure that the record is updated with the Veteran’s correct mailing address and contact information.   
2. Schedule the Veteran for an examination by an appropriate clinician to determine the nature and etiology of any current psychiatric disorder, to include MDD and PTSD.  Access to records in the Veteran’s electronic claims file should be made available to the examiner for review in connection with his or her opinion.
The examiner should identify all psychiatric disabilities identified on examination.  If PTSD is diagnosed, the examiner must specify the stressor(s) upon which the diagnosis was based, to include whether the stressor is related to the Veteran’s combat service in Korea.  
Thereafter, for each diagnosed psychiatric disability, the examiner should provide an opinion as to whether it is at least as likely as not (i.e., a 50 percent or greater probability) that the Veteran’s psychiatric disability was incurred in service or is otherwise causally related to the Veteran’s active service.  
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The examiner should provide a rationale for all opinions provided.
 
K. Conner
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	L. Cellini, Associate Counsel