Citation Nr: 19115804 Decision Date: 03/05/19 Archive Date: 03/04/19 DOCKET NO. 18-07 312 DATE: March 5, 2019 REMANDED Service connection for prostate cancer is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran had active service from June 1961 to May 1965. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from an August 2013 rating decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). Service connection for prostate cancer is remanded. The Veteran seeks service connection for prostate cancer, to include as secondary to exposure to Agent Orange while on temporary duty assignments in Thailand. VA has issued information concerning the use of herbicides in Thailand during the Vietnam War. See May 2010 bulletin; see also Department of Defense (DOD) document, “Project CHECO Southeast Asia Report: Based Defense in Thailand.” VA has determined that special consideration should be given to veterans whose duties placed them on or near the perimeters of Thailand military bases. Pertinent to this case, VA indicated that herbicide exposure should be acknowledged on a facts-found or direct basis if a United States Air Force veteran served near the air base perimeter, as shown by his or her military occupational specialty, performance evaluations, or other credible evidence. In this case, the Veteran contends that while he was stationed in the Philippines with the 1st Mobile Comm Sq. from June 1962 to November 1963, he was sent on at least four temporary duty assignments to bases in Thailand, to include Takhli RTAF. The Veteran’s service personnel records indicate that he was stationed in the Philippines from June 1962 to November 1963. His performance appraisal for the period from June 1961 to September 1962 shows that the Veteran was with the 1st Mobile Comm Gp and stationed in Southeast Asia. His duties involved flight facilities ground equipment repair and assisting in installation and maintenance of mobile navigational communications systems. The performance appraisal for October 1962 to September 1963 indicates that the Veteran was assigned to the Nav-Aids Maintenance Section as a flight facilities equipment repairman with the 1st Mobile Comm Gp and that he participated in several temporary duty (TDY) assignments. In support of his assertion of having visited Thailand for TDY, the Veteran submitted a newspaper article from 1968. The article indicates that the 1st Mobile Comm Gp visited remote air strips in Thailand and Vietnam; however, it does not indicate if those visits occurred in June1962 through November 1963. Of record is a memorandum indicating that the RO lacked the information the U.S. Army Joint Services Records Research Center (JSRRC) required to verify the Veteran’s exposure to herbicides in Thailand. However, the Board finds that there may be sufficient evidence for an attempt at verification, or at the least, sufficient evidence to determine whether personnel from the 1st Mobile Comm Gp had TDY in Thailand from June 1962 to November 1963, and if so, whether duties performed by the group were near base perimeters. On remand, the RO should attempt to verify the Veteran’s exposure to herbicides in Thailand, to include obtaining unit reports or logs that may assist in determining whether personnel from the 1st Mobile Comm Gp had TDY in Thailand from June 1962 to November 1963. The matter is REMANDED for the following actions: 1. Associate with the claims file updated VA treatment records, if any. 2. Contact U.S. Army and Joint Services Records Research Center (JSRRC). Send, along with a copy of this Remand, a description of the Veteran’s account of his service and exposure to herbicides in Thailand and the JSRRC should indicate, if possible, if the Veteran was exposed to herbicides. The Veteran was assigned to the Nav-Aids Maintenance Section as a flight facilities equipment repairman with the 1st Mobile Comm Gp and was sent on multiple TDY trips between October 1962 to September 1963. The Veteran has indicated that he was sent TDY to Thailand and that equipment for his job was located at base perimeters, to include the base at Takhli RTAFB, thus exposing him to herbicides. All requests and responses received should be associated with the claims file. If such verification is not possible, it should be so documented for the record. 3. Attempt to obtain information about the 1st Mobile Comm Gp and whether the unit sent personnel on TDY to Thailand between June 1962 to November 1963 and if so, whether the duties placed personnel on or near the perimeters of Thailand military bases.   4. Then, readjudicate the Veteran’s claim on appeal. If the benefit sought on appeal remains denied, provide the Veteran and his representative a supplemental statement of the case and allow an appropriate period for response. L. CHU Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD A. G. Alderman