Marine Corps · Field artillery — cannon crew
0811 Field Artillery Cannoneer VA Disability Claim Guide
The 0811 Field Artillery Cannoneer serves on a cannon crew — historically the M198 and now predominantly the M777 lightweight towed howitzer — loading projectiles and propellant charges and firing in direct or general support of infantry and armor. Repeated firing generates substantial muzzle blast overpressure at close range to the gun crew, and moving and loading heavy projectiles is physically demanding work. This service can corroborate exposure to overpressure and heavy lifting, but it does not by itself establish a current diagnosis or a nexus. This guide covers the cannoneer's duties, the exposures the job involves, the records that corroborate them, and common denial patterns.
Educational only. A military occupation is not presumptive evidence and does not establish service connection, a diagnosis, or a rating. Last updated 2026-09-06.
What 0811 duty actually involved
Cannon crew positions rotate among loading the projectile, ramming, setting propellant charges, laying the gun, and operating the breech and trail. Fire missions on the M777 or its predecessors can involve sustained rates of fire during training exercises and combat support missions, with each round producing a blast overpressure wave that the crew stands close to repeatedly over a career. Projectiles typically weigh on the order of 95-100 pounds and are manually handled during loading in many crew configurations, and propellant canisters and ammunition resupply add further heavy lifting. Crews also perform gun emplacement, camouflage, and displacement, along with maintenance on the weapon system.
- Loading, ramming, and firing artillery projectiles (M777 howitzer or, in earlier eras, M198/M114 systems) during training and fire-support missions
- Handling propellant charges and setting fuzes as part of the crew-served fire mission
- Repeated exposure to muzzle blast overpressure at close range to the gun during firing
- Manual handling of heavy projectiles and ammunition during resupply and loading
- Gun emplacement, camouflage, displacement, and towing operations
- Weapon-system maintenance and field living conditions common to combat-arms MOSs
Also covers: 0811 covers Marine Corps towed and self-propelled cannon crew positions, including the M777 howitzer crew
What this occupation may help establish
Each item below supports the in-service event or exposure element only, and only when the veteran's own records back it up.
Repeated blast overpressure
Cannon crews stand close to the gun during firing and are exposed to blast overpressure with each round; sustained fire missions during training or combat support can involve dozens of rounds in a session.
Records that corroborate it
- · Fire-mission logs and range records documenting howitzer live-fire training
- · Hearing-conservation audiograms (DD 2215/2216) and DOEHRS-HC records
- · Fitness reports and Basic Training Record entries showing artillery battery assignment
What it does not establish: Documented overpressure exposure supports the in-service event element. A current diagnosis — hearing loss, tinnitus, or TBI residuals — and a nexus opinion are still required.
Hazardous impulse noise
Each artillery round fired generates extreme impulse noise, and cannon crew are exposed repeatedly during training and combat-support fire missions.
Records that corroborate it
- · Audiograms and hearing-conservation program enrollment records
- · Range and gunnery qualification records for howitzer crews
- · Fitness reports referencing artillery battery duty
What it does not establish: A hearing-loss disability under 38 CFR § 3.385 or a tinnitus complaint, plus a medical nexus, are required beyond the noted exposure.
Heavy projectile and equipment handling
Manual loading of artillery projectiles, propellant, and ammunition resupply is physically demanding lifting work distinct from infantry load carriage.
Records that corroborate it
- · Fitness reports describing gun-crew or battery assignment
- · Sick call and physical therapy entries for back, shoulder, or knee complaints
- · LIMDU chits and any Physical Evaluation Board records
What it does not establish: Typical crew lifting demands do not by themselves establish that a specific joint was injured in service.
Propellant and combustion byproduct exposure
Handling propellant charges and firing generates combustion byproducts and residue that gun crews are exposed to during sustained fire missions, particularly in enclosed or poorly ventilated firing positions.
Records that corroborate it
- · Fire-mission records documenting sustained rates of fire
- · Unit environmental or industrial-hygiene records where available
- · Sick call entries for respiratory or skin complaints following field exercises
What it does not establish: General exposure during fire missions does not establish a specific respiratory or dermatologic diagnosis without current clinical findings and a nexus.
Deployment-dependent exposures
Burn-pit and other airborne-hazard exposure depends on installation, location, and dates of any deployment, not on the cannoneer MOS itself.
Records that corroborate it
- · Deployment orders and unit deployment histories
- · DD-214 remarks block listing deployments and campaign credit
- · Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry participation
What it does not establish: The MOS alone does not establish where a Marine served; presumptive status depends on documented location and dates.
Conditions that commonly arise from these duties
This is not a list of conditions to claim. It is a record-driven view of why the occupation may be relevant and what evidence VA looks at. Only you and your treating providers can identify what you actually have.
| Body system | Condition | Why the occupation matters | Evidence VA weighs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hearing | Tinnitus | Repeated close-range artillery blast is among the most intense noise sources documented in ground combat arms. | A current report of persistent tinnitus and a lay account of onset; audiometric changes support but are not required. |
| Hearing | Sensorineural hearing loss | Cumulative extreme impulse noise from howitzer firing is associated with high-frequency hearing loss. | Audiometry meeting 38 CFR § 3.385 thresholds, entrance/separation comparisons, and a nexus opinion. |
| Neurologic / TBI | TBI residuals and headaches | Repeated close-proximity blast overpressure from sustained artillery fire missions is a documented mechanism of concern. | Fire-mission records establishing repeated exposure, reported symptoms, and current neurological findings evaluated under the DC 8045 facets. |
| Lumbar spine | Lumbar strain, degenerative disc disease | Manual handling of heavy projectiles and propellant places significant load on the lumbar spine over a career. | Current imaging, in-service documentation of gun-crew duty, and an opinion addressing cumulative loading. |
| Shoulder | Rotator cuff pathology and shoulder strain | Ramming and loading projectiles repeatedly loads the shoulders. | Current imaging or exam findings and a nexus opinion addressing cumulative loading. |
| Wrist / hand | Carpal tunnel syndrome and wrist strain | Repetitive breech and fuze-setting motions load the wrists and hands. | Current diagnosis with nerve-conduction findings where applicable, and a nexus opinion addressing repetitive use. |
| Respiratory | Chronic bronchitis, asthma, and PACT Act presumptive conditions | Combustion byproducts from sustained fire missions and, separately, deployment-based airborne hazards can affect respiratory health. | Fire-mission or deployment documentation, current pulmonary testing, and a diagnosis matching the presumptive list where one applies. |
| Knees | Degenerative arthritis | Repeated heavy lifting and awkward postures around the gun stress the knees over time. | Current diagnosis with range-of-motion findings and documentation of in-service onset. |
Your occupational claim profile
Tick what actually applied to your service. Nothing is stored or sent — this builds a records list you can copy and take to your provider or representative.
Records that corroborate an occupational history
- DD-214 (Member 4 copy) — Primary specialty, awards, badges, and deployment remarks.
- Complete service treatment records — Sick-call entries, profiles, and separation examination.
- Personnel file (OMPF / enlisted record brief) — Every assignment, duty code, and date you served in it.
- Hearing-conservation audiograms (DD 2215 / DD 2216) — Baseline and periodic tests document noise-hazardous duty and threshold shifts.
- Current medical records with a diagnosis — A current disability is required regardless of what the service record shows.
- A medical opinion connecting the condition to service — Occupational history supports the opinion; it does not replace it.
- Lay and buddy statements — Fill gaps where nothing was written down at the time.
- Fire-mission logs and gunnery qualification records — Documents frequency and intensity of blast/noise exposure.
- Battery assignment orders — Corroborates cannon-crew duty and weapon system (M777, M198, etc.).
- Fitness reports (FitReps) — Narrative record of field duty, training tempo, and deployments.
An occupational history supports the in-service event or exposure element of a claim. It is not presumptive evidence, it does not diagnose anything, and it does not establish service connection on its own.
Why these claims get denied
Denial language tells you which element of the claim failed. These are the patterns that recur in decisions on 0811 claims.
Blast exposure noted, TBI claim denied for lack of clinical findings
VA may acknowledge repeated artillery blast exposure but deny a TBI claim absent a current neurological finding tied to it under the DC 8045 criteria.
Noise exposure conceded, hearing claim denied on nexus
An audiologist's opinion citing a normal separation audiogram is a common basis for denial, though a normal separation audiogram alone does not defeat a hearing claim.
No current diagnosis for claimed back or shoulder condition
Chronic pain complaints without a diagnosed disability or functional-impairment evidence under Saunders v. Wilkie are commonly denied at the threshold.
Examiner discounts lay account due to sparse service treatment records
Cannon crew, like other combat-arms Marines, often did not seek treatment for cumulative strain. An opinion relying mainly on that silence may be inadequate under Barr v. Nicholson.
Rating understates severity from a single exam snapshot
A grant may still understate severity when the exam does not account for flare-ups or repetitive-use loss under 38 CFR §§ 4.40, 4.45 and Correia v. McDonald.
Respiratory claim denied for lack of exposure specificity
General references to "gun smoke" without fire-mission records or deployment documentation tying exposure to a specific hazard are often insufficient on their own.
VA accepted my exposure but still denied me
This is the most common outcome for occupational claims: VA concedes what the job involved, then denies on the medical link, the current-diagnosis element, or the rating criteria. A decision review looks at which element the decision actually turned on and what evidence would address it. Oakridge Claims focuses primarily on post-decision representation — Higher-Level Reviews, Supplemental Claims, and Board appeals — and also accepts initial claims and claims for increase based on case fit and current availability, at no fee for initial-claim representation.*
*No fee is charged for representation before VA issues an initial decision. If representation continues after an initial decision, fees may apply to eligible post-decision representation under a written VA-compliant fee agreement. See Fees for details.
0811 claim questions
Does firing artillery guns automatically prove I have hearing loss or a TBI?
No. It supports the in-service exposure element. A current diagnosis and a medical opinion connecting it to the documented exposure are still required.
Is artillery blast treated differently than rifle noise by VA?
VA does not have a separate presumptive category by weapon type, but repeated close-range artillery blast is a recognized high-intensity exposure that can support a strong noise or blast argument.
I fired hundreds of rounds in training but was never treated for headaches — can I still file?
Yes. Fire-mission and gunnery records documenting the volume of exposure, along with your account of when symptoms began, support the claim even without contemporaneous treatment.
Does loading heavy projectiles prove I hurt my back?
No. It documents a demanding duty consistent with back strain, but a current diagnosis and a nexus opinion are still needed.
I served on an M198 crew in an earlier era, not the M777 — does that matter?
The weapon system may affect exposure specifics, but the underlying claim elements are the same: document your assignment, the exposure, and get a current diagnosis with a supporting opinion.
Can Reserve artillery training support a claim?
It can, depending on duty status. Injuries during active duty for training are generally treated more favorably than those during inactive duty for training.
What records best document cannoneer-specific exposure?
Fire-mission logs, gunnery qualification records, battery assignment orders, fitness reports describing gun-crew duty, and hearing-conservation audiograms.
Related occupations
Sources
VA accepted my exposure but still denied me
This is the most common outcome for occupational claims: VA concedes what the job involved, then denies on the medical link, the current-diagnosis element, or the rating criteria. A decision review looks at which element the decision actually turned on and what evidence would address it. Oakridge Claims focuses primarily on post-decision representation — Higher-Level Reviews, Supplemental Claims, and Board appeals — and also accepts initial claims and claims for increase based on case fit and current availability, at no fee for initial-claim representation.*
*No fee is charged for representation before VA issues an initial decision. If representation continues after an initial decision, fees may apply to eligible post-decision representation under a written VA-compliant fee agreement. See Fees for details.