COAST GUARD · JOB CODE MST
Marine Science Technician Your military role & VA condition guide
The work you did is a place to start. Explore conditions associated with your role, understand what each guide covers, and take your research one step at a time.
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YOUR STARTING POINT
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This guide brings together conditions associated with MST (Marine Science Technician). Start with a topic that relates to your experience, then follow its guide for more detail.
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Conditions are grouped by occupational exposures and physical demands. These are research connections, not statistics about claim frequency or approval.
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Conditions to explore.
Choose a body system, search for a condition, or open a preview. Each full guide explains its rating criteria and evidence in more detail.
7 of 7 conditions
Chronic Bronchitis
Inflammation of the bronchial tubes causing persistent cough and mucus production.
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Evidence covered in the guide
- VA or private pulmonologist diagnosis
- Pulmonary function test results
- C&P exam with respiratory symptoms documented
Dermatitis or Eczema
A chronic skin condition causing rashes, redness, itching, or flaking, often worsened by allergens or stress.
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Evidence covered in the guide
- Dermatology records with area measurement (percentage of body affected)
- Photos showing visible skin lesions
- Medication history (topical or oral corticosteroids, immunosuppressants)
Lumbosacral or Cervical Strain
A strain or sprain of the muscles and ligaments supporting the neck or lower back, causing pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion — often from lifting, impact, or repetitive strain during service.
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Evidence covered in the guide
- C&P or orthopedic exam showing measured loss of range of motion, muscle spasm, or guarding
- Service treatment records documenting the in-service injury, incident, or repetitive strain
- Buddy statements or personnel records corroborating the in-service event (e.g., heavy lifting, vehicle accident, parachute jumps)
Uveitis (Choroiditis/Iritis)
Uveitis is inflammation inside the eye that can cause redness, pain, and vision problems.
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Evidence covered in the guide
- Ophthalmology records dating each treatment visit, since the incapacitating-episode tiers are counted in visits over the past 12 months.
- Prescription history for corticosteroids, systemic immunosuppressants or biologic agents, which the formula's Note (2) names as qualifying treatment.
- Records of intravitreal or periocular injections, laser treatment or surgery, also named in Note (2).
Malignant Neoplasms of the Digestive System
DC 7343 is the digestive system's cancer code, and it has one rating: 100 percent. The whole of its criteria is its own title — malignant neoplasms of the digestive system, exclusive of skin growths — so nothing about stage, site or treatment changes the percentage while it runs. What the code does carry is a note about when it stops: the 100 percent continues beyond the cessation of any surgical, X-ray, antineoplastic chemotherapy or other therapeutic procedure, and six months after that treatment is discontinued a mandatory VA examination determines the rating from then on.
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Evidence covered in the guide
- A pathology report naming the malignancy and the digestive-system site. DC 7343's single criterion is the presence of a malignant neoplasm of the digestive system, so the diagnosis is the whole of what the 100 percent rests on.
- Treatment records with dates — surgery, radiation, antineoplastic chemotherapy, or other therapeutic procedure. The note runs the 100 percent beyond the cessation of treatment and starts a six-month clock from discontinuance, so the date treatment stopped is the date that matters.
- The report of the mandatory VA examination six months after treatment is discontinued, which is what the note makes the basis for the rating from that point.
Benign skin neoplasms
Benign skin neoplasms are non-cancerous growths of the skin. DC 7819 does not rate the growth itself and states no percentages: its single instruction is to "Rate as disfigurement of the head, face, or neck (DC 7800), scars (DC's 7801, 7802, 7803, 7804, or 7805), or impairment of function." So the evaluation comes from what the growth, or its removal, leaves behind — disfigurement, a scar, or lost function — and the evidence has to describe that residual, not just the lesion.
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Evidence covered in the guide
- A pathology or biopsy report confirming the growth is benign, which is what places it under DC 7819 in the first place.
- For the head, face, or neck, an exam addressing DC 7800's characteristics of disfigurement one at a time, with the measurements each of them names.
- Measurements of any resulting scar — its area in square inches or square centimeters, and a count of any scars that are unstable or painful — for the DC 7801, 7802, and 7804 routes.
Lacrimal duct, epiphora
Excessive tearing due to blocked tear ducts.
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Evidence covered in the guide
- An ophthalmology exam confirming the diagnosis.
- A tear drainage test assessing duct function.
- Eye imaging, if performed to assess the duct's structure.
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A FEW HELPFUL ANSWERS
Questions about the MST guide
What do the conditions in this guide represent?
They are conditions grouped with MST (Marine Science Technician) by the role’s occupational exposures and physical demands. Use them as a starting point for research. The list does not rank conditions by claim frequency or VA approval rates.
Where can I find rating levels and evidence guidance?
Open a condition preview for a quick look, or follow its guide link for the published rating criteria, an evidence checklist, and available exam guidance.
What if I served in more than one role?
You can explore a guide for each of your military jobs. Use the military job directory to search another code, job title, or branch, and keep notes on the experiences you want to discuss.
What if my condition is not listed here?
This is a curated starting point. The condition library has additional guides you can search by name, body system, or diagnostic code.
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