NOTE: This disposition is nonprecedential.

United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ______________________ ESTATE OF JASON ALLEN SMALLWOOD, Plaintiff-Appellant v. UNITED STATES, Defendant-Appellee ______________________ 2017-1915 ______________________ Appeal from the United States Court of Federal Claims in No. 1:16-cv-00700-CFL, Judge Charles F.

Lettow. ______________________ JUDGMENT ______________________ JONATHAN BRYAN KELLY, Jonathan Kelly & Associ- ates, Raleigh, NC, argued for plaintiff-appellant.

NATHANAEL YALE, Commercial Litigation Branch, Civil Division, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC, argued for defendant-appellee. Also represented by CHAD A. READLER, ROBERT E. KIRSCHMAN, JR., MARTIN F. HOCKEY, JR.; SHESSY DAVIS, Litigation Division, United States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps, Ft. Belvoir, VA; WILLIAM KLOTZBUCHER, Office of General Counsel, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC. ______________________ THIS CAUSE having been heard and considered, it is ORDERED and ADJUDGED:

PER CURIAM (DYK, WALLACH, and CHEN, Circuit Judg- es).

AFFIRMED. See Fed. Cir. R. 36.

ENTERED BY ORDER OF THE COURT

April 5, 2018 /s/ Peter R. Marksteiner Date Peter R. Marksteiner Clerk of Court