Citation Nr: 21000655 Decision Date: 01/05/21 Archive Date: 01/05/21 DOCKET NO. 19-02 912A DATE: January 5, 2021 REMANDED Service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).   REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from March 1956 to April 1958 The case is on appeal from a June 2017 rating decision. In a June 2019 decision, the Board remanded the claim on appeal for additional development. Service connection for COPD. The Veteran contends that he has COPD due to his military service. In this regard, in a September 2017 correspondence, he reported experiencing problems with his lungs while serving in Korea. During a telephone call in November 2019, the Veteran reported experiencing the onset of his current lung symptoms during service in Korea. The Veteran’s available service personnel record (SPR) shows that he had foreign service for over 11 months. However, the Veteran’s other SPRs and service treatment records (STRs) have not yet been associated with the record. While there are indications in the file that these records are unavailable, a March 2017 request for such records was found to be missing information necessary to conduct a search in April 2017. The June 2019 Board remand requested the RO again attempt to locate the Veteran’s outstanding SPRs and STRs to be associated with the file. However, another remand is required as the RO did not make another attempt to associate the Veteran’s service records with the file. See Stegall v. West, 11 Vet. App. 268 (1998). In addition, pursuant to the June 2019 Board remand, the Veteran was afforded an examination in regard to his claim in January 2020. The examiner reported that the Veteran was diagnosed with COPD and asthma in 2012. The examiner found that it was less likely than not that the conditions are related to service due to a lack of relevant service records. On remand, another medical opinion should be obtained. The claim is REMANDED for the following actions: 1. Contact the appropriate service department and/or records custodian(s), to include the National Personnel Records Center, with a request for copies of the Veteran’s complete STRs and SPRs. All reasonable attempts should be made to obtain such records. If any records cannot be obtained after reasonable efforts have been made, issue a formal determination that such records do not exist or that further efforts to obtain such records would be futile, which should be documented in the claims file. The Appellant must be notified of the attempts made and why further attempts would be futile, and allowed the opportunity to provide such records, as provided in 38 U.S.C. § 5103A(b)(2) and 38 C.F.R. § 3.159(e). 2. After completing the records development indicated above, forward the claims file to an appropriate VA examiner to assess the nature and etiology of the Veteran’s COPD and asthma. Following a review of the claims file, the examiner should: State whether it is at least as likely as not that the COPD had its onset during, or is otherwise related to, service, to include the Veteran’s reports of experiencing the onset of lung symptoms during service in Korea. (Continued on the next page)   State whether it is at least as likely as not that the asthma had its onset during service or is otherwise related to service, to include the Veteran’s reports of experiencing the onset of lung symptoms during service in Korea. A rationale should be provided for opinions offered. RYAN T. KESSEL Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board D. Jimerfield 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.