BVA9503543 
DOCKET NO.  93-09 551     )       DATE
          )
          )

On appeal from the decision of the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Muskogee,
Oklahoma

THE ISSUE

Entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disorder.

REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by: Christy Pearson, Advocate

WITNESSES AT HEARING ON APPEAL

The veteran, his mother, and his father

ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

John D. Nachmann, Associate Counsel

INTRODUCTION

The veteran had active naval service from January 1980 to January
1982.

This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board)
on appeal from a rating decision of January 1992 by the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Muskogee, Oklahoma, Regional
Office (RO).

REMAND

The service medical records indicate that the veteran sought
psychiatric treatment in November 1981.  At that time, he
reported paranoid symptoms including fearing the presence of
poison on a thermometer and the recording of his conversations.
Numerous diagnoses were recorded during service, including drug
ingestion and psychosis, questionable hyperanxiety, rule out
schizophrenia, and borderline personality disorder.  A December
1981 Medical Board report revealed that the veteran was
unsuitable for service due to his borderline personality
disorder, which existed prior to his entry into active service,
and recommended that he be discharged.

The veteran continued to receive psychiatric treatment subsequent
to his discharge from service.  The report of a July 1982
psychological evaluation conducted at the Eastern State Hospital
contains an Axis I diagnosis of identity disorder and an Axis II
diagnosis of mixed personality disorder.  Records from the Grand
Lake Mental Health Center reveal that the veteran was diagnosed
with paranoid schizophrenia in January 1988.  This diagnosis was
subsequently confirmed at other medical facilities.

As indicated from the above discussion, the exact nature of the
veteran's psychiatric disability is not entirely clear.  This
uncertainty is further compounded by the fact that the veteran
has not been afforded a VA examination that takes into account
all of the relevant evidence of record.

Therefore, in order to give the veteran every consideration with
respect to the present appeal, it is the Board's opinion that
further development of the case is desirable.  Accordingly, this
case is REMANDED for the following actions:

A board of at least two psychiatrists
should be asked to review the claims file.
Thereafter, the veteran should be afforded
a special psychiatric examination in order
to determine what diagnostic formulation is
best supported by all the evidence,
including the current examination.  The
examiners should express an opinion as to
the degree of probability, if any, that any
psychiatric disorder currently present is
related to the symptoms reported during
and/or within one year after the veteran's
separation from service.  The claims file
or copies of all relevant records contained
therein must be made available to the
examiners prior to and during the
examination for a complete study of the
case.

After completion of the requested development, the case should be
reviewed by the RO.  If the determination remains adverse to the
veteran, the case should be returned to the Board after
compliance with the provisions for processing appeals, including
the issuance of a supplemental statement of the case and
provision of the applicable time period for response thereto.

The purpose of this REMAND is to obtain additional development,
and the Board does not intimate any opinion as to the merits of
the case, either favorable or unfavorable, at this time.  No
action is required of the veteran until he is notified.

          WARREN W. RICE, JR.
          Member, Board of Veterans' Appeals

The Board of Veterans' Appeals Administrative Procedures
Improvement Act, Pub. L. No. 103-271, § 6, 108 Stat. 740, ___
(1994), permits a proceeding instituted before the Board to be
assigned to an individual member of the Board for a
determination.  This proceeding has been assigned to an
individual member of the Board.

Under 38 U.S.C.A. § 7252 (West 1991), only a decision of the
Board of Veterans' Appeals is appealable to the United States
Court of Veterans Appeals.  This remand is in the nature of a
preliminary order and does not constitute a decision of the Board
on the merits of your appeal.  38 C.F.R. § 20.1100(b) (1994).