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Navy · Maritime / Shipboard / Seamanship
This profile summarizes the typical exposure environment, common VA disability claim signals, evidence to gather, and C&P exam preparation notes for veterans who served as a Navy Aviation Boatswain's Mate - Handling (Rating ABH). It is a discovery reference — not a diagnosis, not a claim filing, and not legal advice.
The exposure environment most commonly associated with this role is shipboard machinery, small boats, diesel exhaust, among others. These exposures map to specific VA presumptive frameworks, audiology criteria, and musculoskeletal rating doctrine described under 38 C.F.R. Parts 3 and 4.
Veterans in this role frequently file or receive evaluations for the following service-connected conditions. This list is not exhaustive and does not replace a personal medical evaluation.
The following secondary conditions warrant review when the underlying primary condition is service-connected.
The following records are typically the most probative evidence to support claims for veterans in this occupational specialty. FOIA requests for service treatment records, personnel records, and unit-level documentation should be prioritized before filing.
Identify ship/cutter class, engineering spaces, small-boat hours, line-handling injuries, slips/falls, and machinery noise.
Bring documentation that establishes frequency, severity, and chronicity of symptoms. Examiners record what they observe — being clear, factual, and complete about how the condition affects daily life is essential.
38 CFR § 4.87 DC 6260 — Tinnitus. 10%: Recurrent tinnitus. This is both the minimum and maximum schedular rating. Smith v. Nicholson, 451 F.3d 1344 (Fed. Cir. 2006) confirmed that 10% is the maximum regardless of whether tinnitus is unilateral or bilateral. Tinnitus is the single…
38 CFR §§ 4.85-4.86 DC 6100 — Hearing Loss. Rated through a purely mechanical formula: controlled speech discrimination testing (Maryland CNC) and puretone audiometry produce Roman numeral designations (I-XI) via Table VI. The two ears designations are cross-referenced in Table V…
§ 3.385 Disability due to impaired hearing. For the purposes of applying the laws administered by VA, impaired hearing will be considered to be a disability when the auditory threshold in any of the frequencies 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 Hertz is 40 decibels or greater; or when …
38 CFR § 4.124a DC 8100 — Migraines. 0%: Less frequent attacks. 10%: Prostrating attacks averaging one in two months over last several months. 30%: Prostrating attacks averaging once a month. 50%: Very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe eco…
Citations updated when 38 C.F.R. or M21-1 doctrine changes.
Public-source core occupation. Validate current status before production deployment.
Other roles with the most similar exposure profile, computed from the 6-axis exposure vector — not just career family.