Citation Nr: 21009337 Decision Date: 02/22/21 Archive Date: 02/22/21 DOCKET NO. 16-41 915 DATE: February 22, 2021 ORDER Entitlement to service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is granted. FINDING OF FACT The Veteran’s diagnosed PTSD is at least as likely as not related to a credible in-service stressor. CONCLUSION OF LAW The criteria for service connection for PTSD are met. 38 U.S.C. §§ 1131, 5107; 38 C.F.R. §§ 3.102, 3.304, 4.125. REASONS AND BASES FOR FINDING AND CONCLUSION The Veteran had active service in the Navy from October 1976 to December 1984, with periods of reserve service thereafter. The appeal originates from a June 2016 decision of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office. The Veteran appeared for a hearing before the undersigned in September 2020. The Board notes that service connection for PTSD was previously denied in a June 2014 rating decision. As military personnel records relating to the claimed stressor were thereafter obtained in September 2016, the claim is reviewed on a de novo basis. Entitlement to service connection for PTSD. Service connection for PTSD requires medical evidence diagnosing the condition in accordance with 38 C.F.R. § 4.125(a); a link, established by medical evidence, between current symptoms and an in-service stressor; and credible supporting evidence that the claimed in-service stressor occurred. 38 C.F.R. § 3.304(f). The Veteran contends that he has PTSD due to various stressors, including discrimination, harassment, and assault in service. See June 2016 VA Examination; September 2020 Hearing Transcript. The May 2016 VA examination confirms a DSM-5 diagnosis of PTSD. The examiner opined that the claimed stressor of personal assault was adequate to support the diagnosis. The examiner confirmed this finding in a June 2016 addendum opinion, indicating that the Veteran’s military experiences, including harassment and mistreatment by other service members, was a source of his PTSD. As there is a valid diagnosis and medical evidence establishing a link to an in-service stressor, the remaining question is whether there is credible supporting evidence that the stressor occurred. The Veteran testified that he experienced racial discrimination and harassment throughout service. Given the time period and length of his service, and the unfortunate history of discrimination and harassment that has existed within the U.S. military, it is certainly plausible that he had such experiences. There is also no evidence in the record directly contradicting his account. Moreover, when he was seen for a private psychiatric evaluation in January 2013, the Veteran described “racial tensions” during his service. Such is significant as this report pre-dates his application for benefits by more than three years. The Board finds that there is credible supporting evidence of the claimed in-service stressor. The Board recognizes that VA examiners have linked his PTSD diagnosis to pre-service stressor events in addition to the stressors that occurred in service. The examiners have even suggested that the Veteran’s childhood traumas are the likely source of his PTSD. However, the fact remains that the same examiners have clearly attributed the Veteran’s current PTSD diagnosis to both the pre-service and in-service experiences including his mistreatment by fellow service members. Accordingly, and after resolving all doubt in the Veteran’s favor, service connection for PTSD is warranted. MICHAEL A. HERMAN Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board M. Alhinnawi 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.