Citation Nr: 22012291 Decision Date: 03/03/22 Archive Date: 03/03/22 DOCKET NO. 17-40 000A DATE: March 3, 2022 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for a cardiovascular disability to include ischemic heart disease, coronary artery disease, and coronary artery bypass graft residuals, claimed as the result of herbicide agent exposure, is remanded. Entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disability; to include an anxiety disorder, a depressive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran had active service from June 1968 to March 1978. 1. Entitlement to service connection for a cardiovascular disability to include ischemic heart disease, coronary artery disease, and coronary artery bypass graft residuals, claimed as the result of herbicide agent exposure, is remanded. The Veteran asserts that service connection for a cardiovascular disability is warranted as the claimed disability was incurred secondary to his in service herbicide agent exposure. The service personnel records reflect that the Veteran served aboard the USS Essex and the USS Milwaukee. In his Appeal to the Board, VA Form 9, the Veteran indicated that he "was on a LST (Landing Ship, Tank) which we drove the coast of Vietnam" and "I went 70 miles inland to Da Nang harbor." The service personnel records state that the Veteran served aboard the USS Essex and USS Milwaukee. The record does not reflect whether a determination has been made as to whether the Veteran served within the 12 nautical mile territorial sea of the Republic of Vietnam while aboard either the USS Essex from March 1969 to March 1970 or the USS Milwaukee from March 1970 to March 1978. 2. Entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disability, to include anxiety, depression, and PTSD. The report of a March 2015 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) psychiatric examination states that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a PTSD diagnosis. The Veteran was diagnosed with alcohol use disorder, amphetamine use disorder, cannibis use disorder, and other hallucinogen use disorder. VA clinical documentation dated in June 2017 states that the Veteran was diagnosed with PTSD. VA's duty to assist includes, in appropriate cases, the duty to conduct a thorough and contemporaneous medical examination which is accurate and fully descriptive. McLendon v. Nicholson, 20 Vet. App. 79 (2006); Green v. Derwinski, 1 Vet. App. 121, 124 (1991). In light of the VA PTSD diagnosis of record, the Board of Veterans Appeals (Board) finds that further psychiatric evaluation is needed. Clinical documentation dated after June 2017 is not of record. VA should obtain all relevant VA and private treatment records which could potentially be helpful in resolving the Veteran's claims. Murphy v. Derwinski, 1 Vet. App. 78 (1990); Bell v. Derwinski, 2 Vet. App. 611 (1992). The matters are REMANDED for the following action: 1. Ask the Veteran to complete a VA Form 21-4142 for each private healthcare provider who treated him for any cardiovascular and psychiatric disabilities. Make two requests for the authorized records from all identified healthcare providers unless it is clear after the first request that a second request would be futile. 2. Take appropriate action to determine whether the Veteran served within the 12 nautical mile territorial sea of the Republic of Vietnam while aboard either the USS Essex from March 1969 to March 1970 or the USS Milwaukee from March 1970 to March 1978. 3. Associate with the record any VA treatment records not already of record, including those pertaining to treatment after June 2017. 4. Schedule the Veteran for a VA psychiatric examination to assist in determining the nature of any diagnosed psychiatric disability and its relationship, if any, to active service. The examiner must review the record and should note that review in the report. A rationale for all opinions should be provided. The examiner should: (Continued on the next page) (a) Diagnose all psychiatric disorders found. If PTSD is not found, the examiner should specifically state that fact. (b) Opine whether it is at least as likely as not (50 percent probability or greater) that any identified psychiatric disability had its onset during active service; otherwise originated during active service; or is related to any incident of service. J. T. HUTCHESON Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans' Appeals Attorney for the Board A. Smith, 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.