To support a claim for presumptive service connection the evidence must show:
- You served in a recognized location that qualifies you for the presumption of exposure; AND/OR
- You have a current disability that qualifies you for the presumption of service connection. This may be shown by medical evidence or by lay evidence of persistent and recurrent symptoms of disability that are visible or observable.
Under certain circumstances, VA may presume that certain current diseases were caused by service, even if there is no specific evidence proving this in your particular claim. Service connection is presumed for certain diseases for the following veterans:
- Former prisoners of war;
- Veterans who have certain chronic or tropical diseases that become evident within a specific period of time after discharge from service;
- Veterans who were exposed to ionizing radiation, mustard gas, or Lewisite while in service;
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Veterans who were exposed to certain herbicides, such as by service in/on:
- Vietnam or qualifying offshore waters, from January 9, 1962, through May 7, 1975;
- a unit determined by VA or the Department of Defense to have operated in the Korean DMZ, from September 1, 1967, through August 31, 1971;
- individuals who performed service in the Air Force or Air Force Reserve and regularly and repeatedly operated, maintained, or served onboard C-123 aircraft known to have used to spray an herbicide agent during the Vietnam era;
- Thailand at any United States or Royal Thai base, from January 9, 1962, through June 30, 1976;
- Laos, from December 1, 1965, through September 30, 1969;
- Cambodia at Mimot or Krek, Kampong Cham Province, from April 16, 1969, through April 30, 1969;
- Guam or American Samoa, or in the territorial waters thereof, from January 9, 1962, through July 31, 1980;
- Johnston Atoll or on a ship that called at Johnston Atoll, from January 1, 1972, through September 30, 1977.
- Veterans who served at Camp Lejeune for no less than 30 days (consecutive or nonconsecutive) between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987; or
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Veterans who served in the Gulf War:
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On or after August 2, 1990, and served in:
- Bahrain; Iraq; the neutral zone between Iraq and Saudi Arabia; Kuwait; Oman; Qatar; Saudi Arabia; Somalia; United Arab Emirates; the Gulf of Aden; the Gulf of Oman; the Persian Gulf; the Arabian Sea; the Red Sea; Afghanistan; Israel; Egypt; Turkey; Syria; or Jordan; OR
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On or after September 11, 2001, and served in:
- Afghanistan; Djibouti; Egypt; Jordan; Lebanon; Syria; Yemen; or Uzbekistan.
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