BVA9500433 
DOCKET NO.  91-48 001     )       DATE
          )
          )

On appeal from the decision of the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Winston-Salem,
North Carolina

THE ISSUE

Entitlement to an increased evaluation for post-traumatic stress
disorder, currently evaluated as 30 percent disabling.

REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by: H. Russell Vick, Attorney

ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

Julia M. Kurtz, Associate Counsel

REMAND

The veteran served on active duty from April 1969 to May 1971.

This appeal arises from an August 1991 rating decision of the
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Regional Office (RO) which
established service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder
and assigned a 30 percent evaluation.  The case was remanded by
the Board for further development in April 1992.  In
December 1992, the Board denied an increased rating for post-
traumatic stress disorder.  In April 1994, the United States
Court of Veterans Appeals (Court) vacated the Board's decision
and remanded this case to the Board for readjudication of the
veteran's claim in a manner consistent with its order.  The
veteran was originally represented in his appeal by the North
Carolina Division of Veterans Affairs; since his appeal to the
Court, the veteran has been represented by H. Russell Vick,
Attorney.

In its April 1994 order, the Court vacated the Board's December
1992 decision upon the joint motion of the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs and the appellant to remand the case back to the Board
for additional development of the record.  Specifically, the
Court held that the holding in Hood v. Derwinski, 4 Vet.App. 301
(1993) is applicable to the instant case, the Board must address
all relevant symptomatology in the record, and conduct any
additional development deemed requisite.

The VA has the duty to assist the veteran in the development of
facts pertinent to his claim.  38 U.S.C.A. § U.S.C.A. § 5107(a)
(West 1991); 38 C.F.R. § 3.103(a) (1993).  The Court has held
that the duty to assist the veteran in obtaining and developing
available facts and evidence to support his claim includes
obtaining medical records to which the veteran has referred and
obtaining adequate VA examinations.  Littke v. Derwinski,
1 Vet.App. 90 (1990).  The Board notes that the veteran's last
psychiatric examination was in 1991 and believes that a current
examination may be of value to the veteran's claim.

In light of the foregoing, this case is REMANDED to the RO for
the following action:

1.  The RO should obtain any outpatient
treatment records referable to the veteran
from the Fayetteville, VA Medical Center
dating from 1991 to the present for
incorporation into the appellate record.

2.  The RO should schedule the veteran for
a VA psychiatric examination to determine
the current nature and extent of the
veteran's post-traumatic stress disorder.
The claims folder should be made available
to the examiner so that the examiner may
become familiar with the history and
development of the veteran's post-traumatic
stress disorder.  All findings should be
reported in detail and the examination
conducted in accordance with the
appropriate physician's guide.  The
examiner, in reporting his findings, should
estimate the degree of disability
consistent with the Global Assessment of
Functioning Scale.

When the requested action has been completed, the case should
again be reviewed by the RO.  In the event the action taken
remains adverse to the veteran, he and his representative should
be furnished a supplemental statement of the case and afforded a
reasonable period of time in which to respond thereto.
Thereafter, subject to current appellate procedures, the case
should be returned to the Board, if in order.

The veteran need not take any further action unless he is further
informed.  The purpose of this REMAND is to allow for further
development of the record and due process of law and to comply
with the Court's order.  No inference should be drawn herefrom
regarding the final disposition of this claim.

          E. W. SEERY
          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) (1993).