[JJ_BPK]

Hearing loss & tinnitus are a little different when it come to showing service connected. It's not a gimme, but has a certain amount of "presumptive" help.

You can use your orders and unit assignments to show that you were in a environment that caused hearing problems. For the air force, "troops that were on flight duty" is presumptive. Guys on dive status, weapons & demo committees, infantry, artillery, rotary-wing, & armor in combat also have a certain amount of presumptive condition.

You also need to present a NEXUS letter from an external doctor who certifies the damage AND is willing to say that he thinks the damage is based on your history.

In my case the VA audiologist and civilian doc came up with the same tests results. So, damage was not the contention point.

For the presumptive part of the claim, I submitted a one page list of my job descriptions (c attached) while on active duty. AND a list of my post service jobs. I was a software programer and systems developer in an air-conditioned office for 30 yrs..

NOW,, If someone with more VA claim history can chime in. I believe a hearing claim may be secondary to other combat-service connected disabilities. In that a 10% hearing claim is not stand alone, it is in addition to other problems. In my case I have both a PH and service connected problems, so the hearing just adds..