Mitchell E. Sims v. R. James Nicholson

On Appeal from the Board of Veterans’ Appeals.

GREENE, Chief Judge:

The appellant, Mitchell E. Sims, appeals a January 15, 2004, decision of the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) that determined that he was not competent to receive direct payment of his VA compensation benefits. Record (R.) at 1-20. This appeal is timely, and the Court has jurisdiction under 38 U.S.C. §§ 7252(a) and 7266. For the reasons that follow, the Board decision will be affirmed.

I. BACKGROUND

Mr. Sims served honorably .in the U.S. Navy from July 1983 to May 1987. R. at 22. In June 1990, a VA regional office (RO) awarded…