        NOTE: This disposition is nonprecedential.


 United States Court of Appeals
     for the Federal Circuit
                 ______________________

                 STEVEN W. HAMER,
                  Claimant-Appellant,

                            v.

  ERIC K. SHINSEKI, SECRETARY OF VETERANS
                    AFFAIRS,
               Respondent-Appellee.
               ____________________

                       2011-7033
                 ______________________

   Appeal from the United States Court of Appeals for
Veterans Claims in No. 07-3181, Judge Lawrence B. Hagel.
                 ______________________

                      JUDGMENT
                 ______________________

   KENNETH M. CARPENTER, Carpenter, Chartered, of
Topeka, Kansas, argued for the claimant-appellant.

    MARTIN F. HOCKEY, JR., Assistant Director, Commercial
Litigation Branch, Commercial Litigation Branch, Civil
Division, United States Department of Justice, of
Washington, DC, argued for respondent-appellee. With
him on the brief were TONY WEST, Assistant Attorney
General, JEANNE E. DAVIDSON, Director, and TODD M.
HUGHES, Deputy Director. Of counsel on the brief were
MICHAEL J. TIMINSKI, Deputy Assistant General Counsel,
and DANA RAFFAELLI, Attorney, United States Department
of Veterans Affairs, of Washington, DC.
                  ______________________
THIS CAUSE having been heard and considered, it is

ORDERED and ADJUDGED:

    PER CURIAM (RADER, Chief Judge, LOURIE and MOORE,
Circuit Judges).

           AFFIRMED. See Fed. Cir. R. 36.


                      ENTERED BY ORDER OF THE COURT



 November 9, 2011         /s/ Jan Horbaly
      Date                    Jan Horbaly
                                 Clerk
