Citation Nr: 22052017 Decision Date: 09/13/22 Archive Date: 09/13/22 DOCKET NO. 19-14 305 DATE: September 13, 2022 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability is remanded. Entitlement to service connection for chemical burns to the face is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from August 1962 to February 1963. These matters come to the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) from a July 2018 rating decision that denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability and chemical burns to the face. In May 2019, the Veteran requested a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge. After the hearing was postponed on two occasions, a hearing was scheduled for July 2022, but the Veteran failed to appear. As a request to have the hearing rescheduled was not received, and good cause for the absence was not shown, the request is deemed withdrawn. 38 C.F.R. § 20.704(d). Acquired psychiatric disability The Veteran asserts that service connection is warranted for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include exposure to snakes during basic training. Remand is required to schedule the Veteran for a VA examination. The evidence of record shows that the Veteran has been diagnosed with an acquired psychiatric disability. An acquired psychiatric disability was not noted at the entrance to service. While the Veteran reported exposure to snakes during service, there is evidence that an acquired psychiatric disability related to a fear of snakes existed prior to service. A VA examination is required because there is an indication that an acquired psychiatric disability may be associated with service, but insufficient competent evidence to decide the claim. The Veteran asserts, to include at a February 2019 VA session, that his DD 214 listed that he had a mental disorder and was medically discharged for this disorder. A review of the DD 214, however, does not appear to indicate that the Veteran had a mental disorder or was medically discharged for this disorder. On remand, the Veteran should be provided with a VA Form 21-4138 to explain this assertion. The evidence of record has passing references to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but it is not clear if the Veteran's symptoms are consistent with a formal diagnosis of PTSD. On remand, the Veteran should be provided with a VA Form 21-0781 to identify alleged stressful incidents during service, to include exposure to snakes during basic training. Chemical burns to the face While the Veteran asserts that service connection is warranted for chemical burns to the face, the nature and etiology of this claimed disability is not clear from the evidence of record. Because the Veteran has received private treatment, remand is required to provide the Veteran an opportunity to identify private treatment for this disability. The Veteran should also be provided with a VA Form 21-4138 to identify the nature and etiology of this claimed disability. The matters are REMANDED for the following actions: 1. Obtain the Veteran's VA treatment records for the period from April 2019 to the present. 2. Obtain relevant federal records from the Social Security Administration. Document all requests for information as well as all responses in the Veteran's claims file. 3. Ask the Veteran to complete a VA Form 21-4142 for private treatment for an acquired psychiatric disability or chemical burns to the face. Make two requests for the authorized records from each identified provider, unless it is clear after the first request that a second request would be futile. 4. Provide the Veteran with a VA Form 21-4138 to identify the nature of his claimed disability of chemical burns to the face and how it is related to service. 5. Provide the Veteran with a VA Form 21-4138 to explain his contention that his DD 214 listed that he had an acquired psychiatric disability and was medically discharged for this disability. 6. Provide the Veteran with a VA Form 21-0781 to identify alleged stressful incidents during service, to include exposure to snakes during basic training. Attempt to corroborate these alleged stressful incidents and contact the Veteran if more details are needed. 7. After the Veteran's reported stressors have been developed, schedule the Veteran for a psychiatric examination. The examiner should identify all diagnoses of an acquired psychiatric disability. If PTSD is diagnosed, the examiner must explain how the diagnostic criteria are met. For each acquired psychiatric disability, the examiner must opine whether the disability clearly and unmistakably (undebatable) preexisted the Veteran's service and, if so, whether the disability clearly and unmistakably was not aggravated by service. For each acquired psychiatric disability that clearly and unmistakably did not preexist service or clearly and unmistakably was not aggravated by service, the examiner must opine whether the disability was approximately at least as likely as not related to service, to include exposure to snakes during basic training. K. Parakkal Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans' Appeals Attorney for the Board C. Ormson, 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.