VA Disability for 15R AH-64 Attack Helicopter Repairer: Common Conditions & Presumptives

VA Disability for 15R (AH-64 Attack Helicopter Repairer)

Army 15R (AH-64 Attack Helicopter Repairer) is a job that typically involved hazardous noise, heavy loads and impact, repetitive strain, vibration, and posture, and fuels, exhaust, and petroleum products. That pattern is why veterans who held it commonly claim conditions like tinnitus, hearing loss, back or neck strain, and eczema or dermatitis. This page covers the general pattern for the job, not your record.

Typical exposures for 15R

These are the general hazards that came with the job. Your own exposure depends on your units, deployments, and duties.

Hazardous noise
Weapons fire, engines, aircraft, generators, or machinery at levels linked to tinnitus and hearing loss.
Heavy loads and impact
Rucks, body armor, lifting, carrying patients or ammunition, and hard landings that wear on the back, knees, and feet.
Repetitive strain, vibration, and posture
The same motion thousands of times, long hours seated in vehicles or at a console, or constant vibration from vehicles and tools.
Fuels, exhaust, and petroleum products
JP-8, JP-5, diesel, turbine oil, and engine exhaust handled or breathed on the job. About this exposure →
Chemicals and solvents
Solvents, degreasers, paints, cleaning agents, and other industrial chemicals used in the field, the shop, or on the line.

Conditions commonly associated with 15R

Veterans who held this job commonly claim the conditions below. Each still needs a current diagnosis and evidence linking it to your service.

TinnitusDC 6260Frequently claimed
Apache rotor and turbine engine noise
Hearing lossDC 6100Frequently claimed
Close-range helicopter engine noise
Lumbosacral/cervical strainDC 5237Frequently claimed
Lifting heavy Apache components, awkward positions
Eczema/dermatitisDC 7806Frequently claimed
JP-8 fuel, hydraulic fluid, weapons lubricants
Shoulder, limitation of motionDC 5201Also commonly claimed
Overhead rotor head and engine work
AsthmaDC 6602Also commonly claimed
JP-8 exhaust, chemical solvents
Knee, limitation of flexionDC 5260Also commonly claimed
Running, jumping, and kneeling under load across basic training and unit PT
Ankle, limited motionDC 5271Also commonly claimed
Uneven terrain, ruck marches, and obstacle-course training throughout service
Foot injuries, otherDC 5284Also commonly claimed
Boots, marching, long days on feet, cumulative across any military role

PACT Act presumptives for 15R veterans

Many soldiers in this job deployed to Southwest Asia or the post-9/11 theater. Under the PACT Act, the presumption is based on where and when you served, not on your job title. It covers Gulf War service on or after August 2, 1990 in places such as Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and the United Arab Emirates, and post-9/11 service on or after September 11, 2001 in places such as Afghanistan, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.

If you served in a qualifying location and are later diagnosed, the VA treats certain conditions as presumed service-connected, so you do not have to prove the exposure caused them. The list includes asthma diagnosed after service, chronic bronchitis, COPD, chronic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, constrictive bronchiolitis, and a range of cancers. Holding this job does not by itself mean you have any of them.

Full PACT Act burn pit list and locations → Gulf War Illness →

Earlier eras carry their own location-based presumptives, such as Agent Orange and Camp Lejeune water contamination.

This is the general pattern, not your claim. Most veterans held more than one job, served at specific bases, and worked specific aircraft or ships. Which conditions fit you, how they combine, and what they rate together depends on that full record.

Get your version in the app

See your personalized Claim Intel, your exact conditions merged across every MOS you held, your specific exposures cross-referenced, and your combined rating in the app. The combined-rating calculator is free with no account. Claim Intel is part of VA Ready Pro.

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Common questions

Does the VA have a list of conditions for 15R?

No. The VA does not keep a list of disabilities by MOS, AFSC, or rating. It decides each claim on your own service records, medical evidence, and exam. What a job typically exposed people to can help explain how a condition started, which is why knowing the pattern for 15R AH-64 Attack Helicopter Repairer is useful.

What conditions do 15R veterans commonly claim?

Veterans who served as Army 15R (AH-64 Attack Helicopter Repairer) commonly claim conditions such as tinnitus, hearing loss, back or neck strain, eczema or dermatitis, limited shoulder motion, and asthma. Each one still needs its own diagnosis and a link to service.

Are 15R veterans covered by the PACT Act?

The PACT Act presumptions are based on where and when you served, not on your job. If you served in a qualifying Gulf War or post-9/11 location, certain respiratory conditions and cancers are presumed service-connected.