Under VA’s “boots on the ground” policy, a presumption of herbicide exposure is limited to those veterans who served in Vietnam.  Importantly, this presumption extends to service on Vietnam’s inland waterways --i.e., its rivers, estuaries, and the Mekong Delta-- and even for very limited contact on land in Vietnam.

VA will also concede herbicide exposure for certain veterans for their service in other locations, namely, service along the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and on the perimeters of Air Force Bases in Thailand during the Vietnam era.  The use of herbicides has been documented at these locations, potentially exposing veterans in certain occupations or units.

If you file a claim for compensation based on the criteria below for an illness linked to herbicide exposure, you also should request that VA obtain your personnel file from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC). This is because VA must have documentation that shows you meet such criteria before granting your claim.