...regarding "Definition of Service in the Republic of Vietnam," for the purpose of clarifying eligibility for presumption of exposure to herbicides status....
Exactly. So?
If this is adopted, (and there is no reason to believe it won't, it did before!) it excludes an entire group of veterans from receiving benefits from exposure to Agent Orange depending on where they were standing, not how they were exposed. (see reports relating to AO contaminants and shipboard evaporator distillers. Pay particular attention to the reports of concentration and enhancement of the Dioxins by copper during the distilling process.
Then note the facts found by the National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine and Center for Disease Control's reports. There are MORE Dioxin related diseases found in Navy Vietnam veterans than were found in land based services.
This can of worms is gonna blow-back. I hope I survive my Leukemia long enough to see us acknowledged.
But I probably won't.