DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF NAVAL RECOADS
2 NAVY ANNEX
WASHINGTON DC 20370-5100

JRE
Docket No. 10295-06
27 November 2007

From:	Chairman, Board for Correction of Naval Records
To:	Secretary of the Navy

Subj : 
REVIEW OF NAVAL RECORD

Ref:	(a) 10 U.S.C. 1552

End:	(1) DD Form 149 w/attachment
(2)	Subjects CRSC Branch file
(3)	Subjects naval record

1.	Pursuant to the provisions of reference (a), Subject, hereinafter referred to as Petitioner, filed written application, enclosure (1), with this Board requesting, in effect, that the applicable naval record be corrected to show that he is entitled to combat-related special compensation (CRSC) for residuals of a left foot injury which has been rated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) at 30% under VA code 5284. He contends that the injury occurred on 13 April l9~~4(”~ during operations on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), when a tow tractor ran over his foot.

2 The Board, consisting of Ms	___ and Messrs and reviewed Petitioner’s allegations of error and injustice on 25 October 2007, and pursuant to its regulations, determined that the corrective action indicated below should be taken on the available evidence of record. Documentary material considered by the Board consisted of the enclosures, naval records, and applicable statutes, regulations and policies.

3.	The Board, having reviewed all the facts of record pertaining to Petitioner’s allegations of error and injustice, finds as follows:

a.	Before applying to this Board, Petitioner exhausted all administrative remedies which were available under existing law and regulations within the Department of the Navy.

	b.	Enclosure (1) was filed in a timely manner
c.	Petitioner served on active duty in the Navy from 26 October 1979 to 30 November 1999, when he was released from active duty and transferred to the Fleet Reserve. He underwent a compensation and pension examination at a VA facility on 12 May 2000, and reported that he had injured his left shoulder while playing racquetball and from repetitive lifting of aircraft tires. He stated that he suffered a crush injury of his left foot when the foot was run over by an aircraft tow tractor in 1993. The VA awarded him service connection and a 10% rating for status post crush injury with chronic pain syndrome and claw toes, left foot, effective 1 December 1999. The rating was increased to 20% effective 2 December 2002, and 30% effective 18 June 2004. He was also awarded a 10% rating for bursitis, left shoulder, from 1 December 1999. The VA denied his request for service connection for bilateral knee pain, tinnitus and hearing loss.

d.	On 17 October 2006, the CRSC Branch, Secretary of the Navy Council of Review Boards, denied Petitioner’s request for CRSC for his foot and shoulder conditions because it was unable to confirm the cause of the aforementioned disabilities based on the limited evidence Petitioner had submitted for review.

e.	Prior to reviewing Petitioner’s request, the staff of the Board obtained a copy of his Navy health and VA records from the VA. An entry in his Navy health record dated 27 April 1990, indicates that Petitioner reported that his left “pinky” toe had been painful for two days after he dropped a “tie-down chain” on his left foot. An entry dated 13 April 1994 indicates that he reported to a flight deck aid station complaining that his left foot had been run over by a tow tractor about two minutes earlier. He completed a Report of Medical History and a Report of Medical Assessment on 28 July 1999 in connection with his pre-retirement physical examination. He disclosed, in part, that he had sustained a crush injury to his left foot, and that he had received treatment of his “left foot small toe”.

CONCLUSION:

Upon review and consideration of all the evidence of record, and resolving doubt in Petitioner’s favor, the Board concludes that his foot disability was caused by an instrumentality of war, i.e., an aircraft tow tractor during flight operations on an aircraft carrier, and as such should be considered combat related. Accordingly, the Board recommends the following corrective action.

2

RECOMMENDATION

a.	That Petitioner’s naval record be corrected to show that he is entitled to combat-related special compensation for status/post crush injury, left foot, with chronic pain syndrome and claw toes 3,4, and 5, rated at 30% under VA code 5284.

b.	That a copy of this Report of Proceedings be filed in Petitioner’s naval record.

4. It is certified that a quorum was present at the Board’s review and deliberations, and that the foregoing is a true and complete record of the Board’s proceedings in the above entitled matter.

ROBERT D. ZSALMAN				JAMES R EXNICIOS
Recorder					Acting Recorder

5.	The foregoing report of the Board is submitted for your review and action.

ROBERT T. CALI
Assistant General Counsel
(Manpower and Reserve Affairs)