Citation Nr: 18160291 Decision Date: 12/26/18 Archive Date: 12/26/18 DOCKET NO. 16-48 980 DATE: December 26, 2018 REMANDED Service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran, who is the Appellant, served on active duty from March 1982 to June 1986, and from November 1989 to July 1993. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from an February 2015 rating decision from the Regional Office (RO), which, in pertinent part, denied service connection for depression and PTSD. During the course of the appeal, a July 2018 rating decision granted service connection for depressive disorder, which is a full grant of the benefit sought on appeal, so is no longer before the Board. The Board need not address the duties to notify and assist regarding the appeal of service connection for PTSD, as this issue is being remanded for further development. Service Connection for PTSD is remanded The Veteran generally contends that service connection for PTSD is warranted. See September 2016 VA Form 9. The DD Form 214 reflects that the Veteran served in Saudi Arabia and received the Southwest Asia Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars and the Kuwait Liberation Medal - Saudi Arabia. A VA examination dated January 2015 reflects that the Veteran reported stressors related to exposure to nearby small arms fire on a few occasions during service in Saudi Arabia in 1989 and seeing several wounded and deceased Iraqis while serving near the border of Kuwait. The VA examiner assessed that the stressors reported met the Criteria A of the PTSD diagnostic criteria based on fear of hostile military or terrorist activity; however, the full diagnostic criteria of PTSD was not met as the Veteran only reported problems with anger and irritability but denied current symptoms of PTSD, including nightmares, flashbacks, and avoidance symptoms. See January 2015 VA examination. In the July 2018 supplemental statement of the case, the RO acknowledged a verified stressor related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity based on the Veteran’s service in Saudi Arabia, but continued to deny service connection for PTSD on the basis of no current diagnosis. A review of the VA treatment records reflects that a May 2016 PTSD screening was negative; however, a formal diagnosis of PTSD was rendered in March 2017 based on reports of witnessing combat related events (i.e., witnessing nearby bombs, gunfire, wounded and deceased during service) and current symptoms of sleep disturbance, hypervigilance, avoidance, intrusive thoughts, emotional numbing, anger and irritability. See May 2016, December 2016, March 2017 VA treatment records. Additionally, the Veteran has been attending PTSD group therapy since April 2017. See April 2017, July 2018 VA treatment records. Given evidence of a current diagnosis of PTSD and a stressor related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity during service, a VA examination and medical opinion is necessary to determine if there is a current diagnosis of PTSD and whether any current PTSD was incurred in or is etiologically related to the service, to include fear of hostile military or terrorist activity. The matter is REMANDED for the following action: 1. Schedule the appropriate VA PTSD examination. The relevant documents in the record should be reviewed by the examiner and a detailed history of relevant symptoms should be obtained from the Veteran. All indicated studies should be performed. A rationale for all opinions and a discussion of the facts and medical principles involved should be provided. The examiner should provide the following opinions: a) Does the Veteran have a current diagnosis of PTSD that meets the diagnostic criteria under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth edition (DSM-5)? b) If so, is it at least as likely as not (50 percent or higher degree of probability) that the currently diagnosed PTSD was incurred in or is etiologically related to active service, to include the stressor of fear of hostile military or terrorist activity during service related to witnessing nearby small arms fire and/or bombs and injured and wounded individuals during service in Saudi Arabia? J. PARKER Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD S. Moore, Associate Counsel