Re: Decision from Board of Veterans appeals
Rich, good question, my thoughts on this. As a claim applicant, it is up to you to prove you are deserving of the disability you are applying for. Currently, on claims for Thailand and herbicide exposure on the listed bases they concede exposure IF, "You" the claimant prove you were more than casually near the perimeter. Meaning you worked, played or lived near the perimeter. They will and do not assume that if you were stationed on a base in Thailand your were exposed to herbicides. My statement about "worked, played, lived near the perimeter" becomes the paramount goal. Documenting your time at the bases, via the maps posted here are imperative. Buddy letters from people in the same career field are important (get them to notarize them also), your civilian doctors letters (NEXUS Letters) are important, supply your medical history and documentation to the VA, supply, the Checo Report, Army Field Manual, and so on. In essence you should provide a "Fully Developed Claim" to the VA, the more you do the faster your claim goes. I only had issues getting my military records out of St. Louis, but my claim still weighed 3.5 pounds! Yes, that much paper. I was also denied first time around and appealed via a Notice of Disagreement (NOD), prevailed at the hearing. Many have done it, please note: it is not easy! Do not get discouraged and there are many sites that you can check for information. Several I found helpful are "Veterans Benefit Network Forums" and "Military Disability Made Easy" (put in your browser as one continuous word). Take the time to check out these and sites on NEXUS letters and you will be better prepared. If we can help let us know, we learned the hard way. LouB.
|