01 / Occupational profile
Your 13B occupational profile
Cannon overpressure and muzzle blast
Assignment-dependent
Repeated firing of towed and self-propelled howitzers is a recognized high-overpressure occupational exposure, particularly for gun-line personnel positioned near the breech and muzzle during sustained fire missions.
Hazardous noise
Common occupational factor
Howitzer firing produces some of the highest impulse-noise levels in ground combat occupations, and cannon crews are typically enrolled in hearing-conservation programs.
Propellant and combustion byproduct exposure
Common occupational factor
Handling propellant charges and working near breech venting exposes crews to combustion byproducts, with confined-space exposure inside self-propelled systems generally greater than for open towed positions.
Physical demands and whole-body vibration
Common occupational factor
Manual handling of heavy projectiles and propellant, plus sustained whole-body vibration for Paladin crews riding a tracked vehicle cross-country, are documented occupational stressors for cannon crewmembers.
Deployment-dependent exposures
Location-dependent
Fire-support missions during deployment may add combat-stressor and airborne-hazard exposure depending on location and dates.
02 / Your service
What did you actually do?
Your MOS is the starting point. Your actual assignment, era, equipment, location, and duties determine which parts of the occupational history are relevant. Use the Evidence Builder below to select your actual duties and see records that may corroborate them.
A cannon section performs distinct roles — gunner, assistant gunner, ammunition handler, and section chief — around the piece during a fire mission, with each position carrying somewhat different exposure. Loading and ramming projectiles and propellant charges is physically demanding and repetitive during sustained fire. Towed-howitzer crews (M119, M777) work in the open, exposed to blast and muzzle flash with limited overhead protection; self-propelled Paladin crews work inside an enclosed, tracked vehicle that combines main-gun overpressure with cross-country whole-body vibration and confined-space propellant fumes. Firing rates during training and combat missions can produce sustained, repeated impulse-noise and overpressure exposure well beyond a single event.
Weapons platform matters. M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzer crews work inside an enclosed, vibrating turret; towed M777 and M119 crews fire from an open position with different blast and noise geometry.
Duties that may vary by assignment
- Loading, ramming, and firing towed (M119, M777) or self-propelled (M109 Paladin) howitzer systems
- Handling and preparing artillery projectiles and propellant charges, often exceeding 90-100 lbs per round
- Repeated close-range exposure to muzzle blast, overpressure, and propellant flash during fire missions
- For Paladin crews, sustained cross-country vibration and confined-space work inside an armored turret
- Section-level emplacement, displacement, and camouflage of firing positions
- Standard field-artillery unit field duties: sustained field time, convoy operations, and equipment maintenance
Private, on this page only
Military Occupational Evidence Builder
Based on what you actually did in the military, what records might document it? Select only what applied to you. No name, file number, contact details, free text, or upload. Nothing is saved or sent.
Military service
Army · 13B Cannon Crewmember
For another specialty, open its guide from the MOS library. A job code alone does not establish individual duties or exposure.
Era(s) of service
Deployments
Already have a VA decision?
Your Evidence Builder identifies records that may document your service history. If VA has already decided your claim, the next question is different: what did VA accept, what did VA reject, and why?
Request a free decision review03 / Corroboration
Building your occupational history
Records matter because they can connect a job title to an individual's actual work and circumstances.
Cannon overpressure and muzzle blast
Records that may corroborate it
- · Fire-mission logs and range-firing records showing rounds fired and crew position
- · Weapons qualification records specifying gunner, assistant gunner, or ammunition-handler duty
- · Line-of-duty determinations for combat fire-support missions
- · NCOER or DA Form 2-1 entries describing cannon-section duty
Limit: Documented overpressure exposure supports the in-service event element for a TBI or headache claim; it does not establish a current diagnosis or the medical link to service.
Hazardous noise
Records that may corroborate it
- · Hearing-conservation program enrollment and DOEHRS-HC audiogram records
- · Entrance and separation audiograms (DD 2215/2216)
- · Range control logs documenting fire missions
Limit: Documented noise exposure does not itself establish a current hearing-loss disability under 38 CFR § 3.385 or the required nexus for tinnitus.
Propellant and combustion byproduct exposure
Records that may corroborate it
- · Unit industrial-hygiene surveys where available
- · Vehicle assignment records confirming M109 Paladin crew duty
- · Sick-call records for respiratory symptoms during or after service
Limit: General propellant exposure does not establish a specific respiratory diagnosis or that a current condition is linked to it without supporting clinical and nexus evidence.
Physical demands and whole-body vibration
Records that may corroborate it
- · DA Form 3349 physical profiles
- · Vehicle operator and crew assignment records
- · Sick-call and physical-therapy records for back, shoulder, or neck complaints
Limit: Typical physical demands of the occupation do not prove a specific injury occurred or that a current spine or joint condition is connected to service.
Deployment-dependent exposures
Records that may corroborate it
- · Deployment orders and unit mission records
- · Post-Deployment Health Assessment/Reassessment (DD 2796/2900)
- · Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry participation
Limit: The MOS does not establish deployment location; presumptive status still depends on the statutory location, period, and a listed condition.
04 / Evidence standard
What your MOS can — and cannot — establish
May help document
Work performed, circumstances of service, consistency of an alleged exposure, and the nature or duration of duties where supported by individual records.
Does not automatically establish
A diagnosis, medical causation, severity, percentage, presumption, or entitlement to service connection.
05 / Medical evidence
Conditions that may be relevant to the occupational history
This is not a list of conditions to claim. A veteran's actual diagnosis and individual service record determine relevance; occupational evidence is not medical causation.
Hearing +
Tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss
Why the occupation may matter: Howitzer firing produces sustained, high-intensity impulse noise recognized as a hazardous occupational exposure.
Records and clinical evidence: Current diagnosis, audiometry meeting 38 CFR § 3.385 thresholds where applicable, and a nexus opinion addressing the noise pattern.
Occupational history alone does not establish this diagnosis or its medical relationship to service.
Neurologic / TBI +
TBI residuals, chronic headaches
Why the occupation may matter: Repeated close-range cannon overpressure during sustained fire missions is a documented blast mechanism.
Records and clinical evidence: Documentation of repeated overpressure exposure, symptom history, and current findings evaluated under the DC 8045 facets.
Occupational history alone does not establish this diagnosis or its medical relationship to service.
Lumbar and cervical spine +
Degenerative disc disease, radiculopathy
Why the occupation may matter: Heavy projectile handling and, for Paladin crews, sustained whole-body vibration are documented spine stressors.
Records and clinical evidence: Current imaging or examination findings, in-service profile records, and an opinion addressing cumulative load or vibration exposure.
Occupational history alone does not establish this diagnosis or its medical relationship to service.
Shoulders +
Rotator cuff pathology
Why the occupation may matter: Repeated loading and ramming of heavy projectiles stresses the shoulder girdle over a fire-mission career.
Records and clinical evidence: Current diagnosis, documented in-service onset, and an opinion linking repetitive heavy lifting to the condition.
Occupational history alone does not establish this diagnosis or its medical relationship to service.
Neurologic +
Peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities
Why the occupation may matter: Sustained whole-body and hand-transmitted vibration in self-propelled systems is associated with peripheral nerve symptoms in occupational-health literature.
Records and clinical evidence: Current diagnosis with nerve-conduction findings, documented Paladin crew assignment, and a supporting nexus opinion.
Occupational history alone does not establish this diagnosis or its medical relationship to service.
Respiratory +
Chronic bronchitis, asthma, and PACT Act presumptive conditions
Why the occupation may matter: Propellant combustion byproducts and, for deployed crews, airborne hazards may contribute to respiratory symptoms.
Records and clinical evidence: Current pulmonary testing, documented exposure setting, and a diagnosis matching the presumptive list where one applies.
Occupational history alone does not establish this diagnosis or its medical relationship to service.
Mental health +
PTSD, depressive and anxiety disorders
Why the occupation may matter: Fire-support missions during deployment may involve combat-stressor exposure depending on assignment.
Records and clinical evidence: A DSM-5 diagnosis, a described stressor, and treatment records showing occupational and social impairment.
Occupational history alone does not establish this diagnosis or its medical relationship to service.
06 / Exposure record
ILER and toxic exposure
For applicable exposure-related claims, VA may review the Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record (ILER) and a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) memorandum along with deployment and occupational records. An ILER entry does not automatically establish exposure or service connection.
07 / After a decision
Why a 13B claim may still be denied
An exposure finding is not the same as a grant. These are examples from the researched guide, not predictions about a particular case.
VA may accept
A duty or event consistent with the service record
But may deny
A diagnosis, medical relationship, or rating element
Record to examine
Decision findings, service and private treatment records, examination rationale, and medical opinions.
Overpressure exposure conceded, TBI claim denied for lack of nexus
VA may accept repeated cannon-fire overpressure and still deny a TBI or headache claim when the examiner's opinion does not adequately tie that documented exposure to current cognitive or headache symptoms.
Normal separation audiogram used to deny hearing loss
A normal separation audiogram alone does not defeat a hearing-loss claim. Denials that rest primarily on this point, without addressing the documented cannon-fire exposure and post-service progression, warrant scrutiny of the rationale.
Vibration-related neuropathy attributed to non-occupational causes
Examiners sometimes attribute upper-extremity nerve symptoms to unrelated causes without adequately addressing documented Paladin crew duty and sustained vibration exposure.
No current diagnosis of the claimed spine or shoulder condition
Complaints of back or shoulder pain without a corresponding diagnosis, or without functional impairment under Saunders v. Wilkie, are commonly denied at the current-disability step.
Chronicity gap between separation and first treatment
Long delays before first treatment for hearing, back, or respiratory conditions invite a denial reasoning that the condition arose independently of service.
Rating understates functional loss
Service connection is granted but the rating relies on a single measurement that does not capture flare-ups or repetitive-use loss under 38 CFR §§ 4.40, 4.45.
Oakridge Claims / Appeals Focused
Already have a VA decision?
The important question is what VA accepted, what it rejected, and why. A decision review considers the decision, examinations, and the complete record — including private and VA records that may need development. Oakridge is appeals-focused — core work is post-decision, but initial and new claims are accepted on a case-by-case basis (no fee for pre-decision work).
Fees for eligible post-decision representation are governed by a written agreement. See fee details. No outcome is guaranteed.
13B questions
Does being a 13B automatically qualify me for hearing loss or TBI benefits?
No. Cannon crew duty supports the in-service noise and overpressure exposure elements. A grant still requires a current diagnosis and a medical opinion linking it to that documented exposure.
Does it matter whether I served on a towed howitzer or the M109 Paladin?
It can. Paladin crews work inside an enclosed, vibrating hull with confined-space fumes in addition to main-gun overpressure, while towed-system crews work in the open. Describing your specific platform and duty position strengthens the exposure record.
Can I claim hand or arm numbness from years on the Paladin?
That is worth discussing with your provider. Sustained vibration exposure is a documented occupational stressor, but a claim still needs a current diagnosis such as peripheral neuropathy and a nexus opinion, not just the vehicle assignment.
What if I have hearing loss but my separation audiogram looked normal?
A normal separation audiogram does not automatically defeat a claim. Hearing loss can develop or worsen after service, and your documented in-service noise exposure remains relevant evidence.
Does my MOS prove I was exposed to burn pits or combat stressors?
No. Those depend on where and when you deployed, established through orders and unit records, not the job title.
What records show my actual fire-mission exposure?
Fire-mission logs, range-firing records, weapons qualification records, NCOERs describing section duty, and vehicle crew assignment records for Paladin service.
Sources and legal references
General education only; not legal or medical advice. Oakridge Claims is a private business, not affiliated with or endorsed by VA. Nothing here establishes a representative-client relationship or guarantees a result. Free accredited VSO help is available.