Comment on AN27-Proposed Rule-David G. Burkhardt

This comment is submitted in response to submitted in response to “RIN 2900- AN27--Herbicide Exposure and Veterans with Covered Service in Korea.” Even though I am not a veteran, I support the VA promulgating a rule similar to this proposed rule, not only because it is stated to be necessary for compliance with the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003, but also because I believe it is important to support our veterans, to aid in their healthcare, and to aid in the care of their immediate family that suffer illnesses that are reasonably attributable to the veteran’s wartime experience. I suggest strengthening the evidentiary basis for the presumption of exposure by establishing, in consultation with DoD, a means to determine which veterans assigned to a qualifying unit were indeed active with the unit at the qualifying time and place of presumed exposure. I further suggest the determination be made on the basis of checking whether the veteran was on leave and whether they were otherwise absent from their unit (for example for medical care), and otherwise considering the veteran to have been actively with the unit (and therefore presumed exposed). The spirit of this is to give the benefit of the doubt to the veteran. Thank you. Respectfully, David G. Burkhardt