11, 2001, burn pits have been used throughout the operations in Afghanistan and Djibouti, as well as in Iraq after March 20, 2003. During Operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia in 19, burn pits were considered an operational necessity during combat operations. However, there is a misconception that burn pit exposure only impacts post-9/11 veterans.ĭuring Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm (1990–1991) and since, burn pits were utilized in not only Iraq but also Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. There were more than 250 burn pits in those combat theaters that released an array of pollutants into the air, including particulate matter and known carcinogens. Most recently, their use in Iraq and Afghanistan was prolific. In 2013, at DAV’s behest, Congress mandated the creation of the VA’s Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, and the 2018 defense-spending bill required the VA to coordinate further research on the effects of burn pits.īurn pits have been used for decades to dispose of waste and garbage generated on American military bases overseas. In 2010, lawmakers banned the military from using burn pits except where there was no feasible alternative.
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This assistance includes a full and thorough review of service medical records, collection of necessary evidence and-when necessary-providing free representation before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals.ĭAV was the first to bring the hazards of burn pits to light in 2007 and has made further research into these exposures an ongoing legislative priority.
In addition to advocacy work, DAV benefits experts have helped countless veterans over the years file disability claims and fight appeals to establish service connection for illnesses known or suspected to be linked to toxic exposures. (See Vietnam War veterans: health concerns and benefits for more information.) For example, the organization’s representatives in Washington, D.C., have long fought for Blue Water Navy Vietnam veterans to be granted the same presumption of exposure to Agent Orange as other so-called “boots on the ground,” finally seeing significant victories for these veterans in 2019. This is not, however, true for all veterans.ĭAV has been a leading advocate for veterans who have suffered illnesses believed to be caused by toxic exposures. This means that, by virtue of the time and place of service-as verified by military records-a veteran is presumed to have been exposed to a specific known toxin. Some veterans who have suffered toxic exposures are granted “presumption of exposure” by the VA. How does DAV help veterans with toxic exposures? Veterans must still undergo the VA claims process in order to verify such exposures according to military service records. These registries can also help the VA track and understand these health problems among veterans, but it’s important to note that participation does not confirm exposure to military-related environmental hazards for the purposes of disability compensation. On the Environmental Health Registry Evaluation page, veterans can check their eligibility to participate, review updated registry information and find contact information for the VA environmental health coordinator. These registries can then alert veterans to potential health issues related to those exposures. Currently there are six health registries that exist for veterans who have had exposure to certain environmental hazards: Agent Orange, Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit, Depleted Uranium Follow-up, Gulf War, Ionizing Radiation and Toxic Embedded Fragments. In some cases, the Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes that certain illnesses are, in fact, caused directly by or linked to military service. These illnesses may show symptoms immediately or may cause long-term effects that go unnoticed for many years until they pose major health concerns for veterans. What is sometimes overlooked is that these men and women who serve often carry an elevated risk of illness due simply to toxic exposures from their everyday work environments, living conditions or other hazardous circumstances. Military service-wartime service in particular-comes with the heightened threat of severe injury or possibly even death.