Citation Nr: 21021645 Decision Date: 04/13/21 Archive Date: 04/13/21 DOCKET NO. 16-58 415 DATE: April 13, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for rheumatoid arthritis is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran had active service in the Army from June 1962 to June 1965 and September 1965 to February 1984. The appeal originates from an October 2013 decision of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). In April 2019, the Veteran testified at a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge (VLJ). A transcript of this hearing is of record. The Veteran was notified in February 2021, that the VLJ who conducted the April 2019 hearing was no longer available to participate in the adjudication of the claim. The Veteran was also informed of his right to a new hearing. This letter indicated that if there was no response to this letter within 30 days, the Board would presume that he did not desire another hearing. The Veteran did not respond to such letter within 30 days. Therefore, it is presumed that he does not want another Board hearing.   In October 2019, the Board remanded claims of service connection for a psychiatric disorder, migraine headaches, sleep apnea, right upper extremity CTS, left upper extremity CTS, a low back disability, a left ankle disability, and sinusitis. A January 2021 rating decision granted service connection for these disabilities and they are no longer before the Board. Entitlement to service connection for rheumatoid arthritis is remanded. The Veteran contends that he was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in approximately 1976 or 1977 and has been treated for several decades. See April 2019 Hearing Transcript. The matter was remanded in October 2019 for a VA examination with opinion, VA treatment records, authorization to obtain private treatment records, and service treatment records. An examination with opinion and VA treatment records were obtained as requested. VA sent correspondence to the Veteran in October 2019 requesting authorization to obtain private treatment records, but no response was received. With respect to service treatment records, there remains some question as to their completeness. As discussed in the October 2019 Remand, most of the service treatment records associated with the file appear to have been submitted by the Veteran in November 2016, and he asserts that his records were destroyed in a fire. There is no indication that the RO attempted to verify the completeness of the service treatment records and obtain any outstanding records as directed by the Board. As such, remand is necessary for this development. The matter is REMANDED for the following action: Undertake appropriate action to ensure that the claims file contains a complete copy of the service treatment records. If necessary, request the service treatment   records from the appropriate repository. If the records are unavailable, provide appropriate notice to the Veteran. 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.