A favorable C&P exam is strong evidence, but it is only one of three elements VA needs to grant service connection for PTSD: (1) a current diagnosis, (2) an in-service stressor, and (3) a medical nexus linking the two. A positive nexus opinion satisfies the third element, but VA still has to be satisfied that the stressor actually happened in service. For non-combat PTSD claims, 38 CFR 3.304(f) requires credible supporting evidence that the claimed stressor occurred — it does not require the stressor to be documented in the service treatment records (STRs) themselves. Personnel records, unit records, performance evaluations, sudden reassignments, demotions, or changes in duty billet can all serve as corroborating evidence, especially in personal-assault or in-service-incident cases where official incident reports are often never filed.
If STRs are missing, VA has a duty to assist under 38 CFR 3.159 and must make reasonable efforts to locate records through alternate sources — the National Personnel Records Center, service personnel files, morning reports, unit histories, or the Joint Services Records Research Center (JSRRC). A rater cannot deny a claim simply because STRs are unavailable; they must document what alternate sources were searched and allow the veteran to submit substitute evidence, including buddy statements, personnel records showing a unit transfer, or lay statements describing behavioral changes after the event.
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
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Analyze my claim free →So a missing-records denial from years ago does not mean the claim is doomed now, particularly if personnel records already show the reassignment/removal from the unit — that kind of record is exactly the type of corroborating evidence 3.304(f) allows. A current positive nexus opinion combined with that corroboration meaningfully strengthens the case compared to the earlier denial.
Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions measured by VetAid (vetaid.ai/bva/outcomes) show that of 174,787 PTSD issues decided by the Board, 20.4% were granted, 21.2% denied, and 52.5% remanded for more development — but those figures reflect already-appealed cases, not initial RO decisions, so they shouldn't be read as the odds of this claim's outcome.
The concrete next step is to make sure the VSO submits the personnel records showing the unit transfer/different billet, along with any buddy or lay statements, directly to the rating team before the decision is finalized, explicitly requesting they be weighed as corroborating evidence under 38 CFR 3.304(f).
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