BVA9501910 DOCKET NO. 93-06 158 ) DATE ) ) On appeal from the decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Columbia, South Carolina THE ISSUES 1. Entitlement to an increased evaluation for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including post traumatic stress disorder, currently evaluated as 30 percent disabling. 2. Entitlement to service connection for gout. 3. Entitlement to service connection for bronchial asthma. 4. Entitlement to service connection for residuals of injuries to both knees. 5. Entitlement to service connection for residuals of a right hip injury. 6. Entitlement to service connection for hemorrhoids. 7. Entitlement to service connection for arthritis of multiple joints. 8. Entitlement to service connection for bilateral defective hearing. 9. Entitlement to service connection for tinnitus. REPRESENTATION Appellant represented by: Paralyzed Veterans of America, Inc. WITNESS AT HEARING ON APPEAL Appellant ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD Carolyn Wiggins, Associate Counsel INTRODUCTION The veteran reportedly served on active duty from August 1966 to August 1969, February 1970 to June 1979, and September 1983 until May 1990. He was awarded the Bronze Star medal, Purple Heart medal, Vietnam Service Medal with seven service stars, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry Unit citation with palm, Vietnam Campaign Medal with device 60 and the Combat Infantryman badge. His service in Vietnam was from June 1967 to June 1968 and May 1970 to March 1973. He was born in December 1944. This appeal arises from an August 1990 rating decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in Columbia, South Carolina which denied an increased evaluation for an acquired psychiatric disorder including post-traumatic stress disorder, and service connection for gout, asthma, residuals of injuries to both knees, residuals of a right hip injury, hemorrhoids, and arthritis of multiple joints. REMAND This case is remanded to RO to ensure that the VA has complied with its duty to assist the claimant. The VA has a duty to assist the veteran in the development of all facts pertinent to his claim. 38 U.S.C.A. § 5107 (a) (West 1991); 38 C.F.R. § 3.103(a) (1993). The United States Court of Veterans Appeals has held that the duty to assist the veteran in obtaining available facts and evidence to support his claim includes obtaining pertinent evidence that applies to all relevant facts. Littke v. Derwinski, 1 Vet.App. 90 (1990). This duty also includes providing additional examinations by a specialists when recommended or indicated. Hyder v. Derwinski, 1 Vet.App. 221 (1991). Accordingly, this case is REMANDED to the RO for the following actions: 1. The RO should make another attempt to secure the veteran's service medical records through official channels for the periods of active service from 1966 to 1972. 2. The RO should obtain the names and addresses of all medical care providers who treated the veteran since February 1991. The RO should specifically request outpatient treatment records and records of hospitalization from the VA Medical Centers in Augusta, Georgia and Columbia, South Carolina. The RO should also obtain copies of complete records of hospital and outpatient treatment from the Moncrief Army Hospital, at Fort Jackson. 3. The RO should obtain from the Social Security Administration copies of all records pertinent to the appellant's claim for Social Security disability benefits as well as the decision and the medical records relied upon concerning that claim. 4. The veteran should be afforded a VA social and industrial survey to assess the veteran's employment history and day-to-day functioning. A written copy of the report should be inserted into the claims folder. 5. The RO should schedule the veteran for a comprehensive VA psychiatric examination by a Board of psychiatrists. This study should be conducted in accordance with the VA Physician's Guide for Disability Evaluation Examinations. All indicated tests, including appropriate psychological studies with applicable subscales, must be conducted. The claims file must be made available to and reviewed by the examiners prior to the requested study. The examiners must assign a Global Assessment of Functioning Score consistent with the American Psychiatric Association's DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL FOR MENTAL DISORDERS (3d ed. rev., 1987), and explain what the assigned score represents. A complete rationale for any opinion expressed must be provided. 6. The veteran should be afforded a VA orthopedic examination to determine if the veteran currently has arthritis of any joints and any residuals of injuries to his knees and right hip. Any special test necessary to diagnosis the veteran's disabilities should be performed, including X-rays. The claims folder should be made available to the examiner for review before the examination. 7. The veteran should be afforded a VA pulmonary examination to determine if the veteran has bronchial asthma or other pulmonary pathology. Any indicated special testing should be accomplished. The claims folder should be made available to the examiner for review before the examination. 8. The veteran should be afforded a VA surgical examination to determine if the veteran has hemorrhoids and gout. Any indicated special testing should be done. The claims folder should be made available to the examiner for review before the examination. 9. The veteran should be afforded a VA audiological evaluation and an Ear, Nose and Throat Examination to determine if the veteran has bilateral defective hearing or tinnitus. Any indicated special tests, including audiometric testing, should be carried out. The claims folder should be made available prior to the examination. 10. Following completion of the foregoing, the RO must review the claims folder and ensure that all of the foregoing development actions have been conducted and completed in full. If any development is incomplete, including if the requested examination does not include all test reports, special studies or opinions requested, appropriate corrective action is to be implemented. Following completion of the above actions, the case should be reviewed by the RO. If the benefits sought remain denied, the veteran and his representative should be provided with an appropriate supplemental statement of the case and given the opportunity to respond. The case should then be returned to the Board for further appellate review. SAMUEL W. WARNER 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).