Citation Nr: 19163045 Decision Date: 08/14/19 Archive Date: 08/14/19 DOCKET NO. 19-00 523 DATE: August 14, 2019 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for atrial fibrillation is remanded. Entitlement to service connection for cardiomyopathy, to include as secondary to atrial fibrillation, is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from November 1987 to November 1991. These matters are before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a July 2018 rating decision of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). Entitlement to service connection for atrial fibrillation and for cardiomyopathy is remanded. A. Private Treatment Records The Veteran states that he has been treated for the claimed disabilities at the following facilities: Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute and Carolina Medical Center. An attempt was made to secure these records, but the providers were unable to process the request because the dates of treatment were not included in the request. The Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ) failed to ask the Veteran to provide the dates of treatment for these providers so that another attempt could be made to secure the Veteran’s private medical records. Because such records, if obtained, might contain information bearing on the Veteran’s appeal, further efforts should be made to procure them. See 38 U.S.C. § 5103A; 38 C.F.R. § 3.159(c). B. Service Personnel Records In March 2018, the AOJ attempted to secure the Veteran’s active duty service treatment records (STRs), but not his personnel records. A response from the National Personnel Records Center noted that the AOJ’s request could not be completed because the Social Security number provided did not match the Veteran’s name. In April 2018, the AOJ emailed a request to obtain the Veteran’s active duty records, but again the AOJ only asked for the Veteran’s STRs. In May 2018, the AOJ emailed another request for the Veteran’s active duty records. However, it is unclear from the claims file what, if any, response was received. The Board notes that while the Veteran’s STRs have been associated with the claims file, his service personnel records, with the exception of one page, have not been. The Veteran’s service personnel records may be relevant to the Veteran’s claims because they may help support the Veteran’s assertions that his conditions began in service due to his physical training, being deployed, or job duties, such as fighting fires and gas chamber training. There is an indication that the Veteran served in the Navy Reserve after his active duty service. As such, it is possible his active duty personnel records have been associated with his reserve service records. Thus, on remand further attempts should be made to obtain the Veteran’s complete service personnel records. The matters are REMANDED for the following actions: 1. Obtain and associate with the claims file VA treatment records from October 2003 to the present. 2. Contact the Veteran and afford him the opportunity to identify or submit any additional pertinent evidence in support of his claims, to include records from Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute and Carolina Medical Center. In so doing, ask the Veteran to provide dates of service for Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute and Carolina Medical Center. Based on the response received, attempt to procure copies of all records which have not previously been obtained from identified treatment sources. 3. Obtain and associate with the claims file the Veteran’s complete service personnel records. M. SORISIO Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board S. Patel, Associate Counsel The Board’s decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential, and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.