Posted on Dec 16, 2013
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While I'm not a huge fan of FoxNews, this article linked below was published and talks about a project that if it was successful would have saved a lot of us from spending hours standing around an open pit while lord knows what was burned.<div><br></div><div>I try not to complain too much about things that are/were outside of my control but personally, I see burn pits as the Post-9/11's version of what Vietnam Veterans faced and continue to face in regards to the use of Agent Orange. </div><div class="pta-link-card"><div class="pta-link-card-picture"><img src="http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/Politics/0/0/burnpit_020413.jpg"></div><div class="pta-link-card-content"><div class="pta-link-card-title"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/12/16/complete-waste-army-corps-flushed-54m-on-unusable-trash-incinerators-probe/">‘Complete waste’: Army Corps flushed $5.4M on ‘unusable’ trash incinerators, probe finds</a></div><div class="pta-link-card-description">The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers paid $5.4 million for shoddy trash incinerators that were delivered years behind schedule and never used, leaving soldiers at an Afghanistan base with no other option ...</div></div><div style="clear:both"></div><div class="pta-box-hide"><i class="icon-remove"></i></div></div>
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Burn Pits
Burn Pits
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 10
5
5
0
I burned trash in Iraq in 2003-2004 (poo too!), it was still being burned in 2006-2008, and even still in 2009-2010. When I got to Afghanistan in 2011 the COP I was at was remote enough to go back to burning trash (and poo). Now I'm 37 and doctors look at me funny when they read my medical record a see COPD listed. If KBR didn't light the incinerator because it was "too expensive" maybe they should have taken some of that $40/coke they were charging or of their bank account and don't what was right. Of course when has anything associated with politics been right?
(5)
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SFC (Join to see)
I have developed skin issues on my arms, legs, and eyelids. The dermatologist told me that it was dormant eczema that Ive had my whole life after I talked about burn pit exposure. Yeah, my "eczema" conveniently waited to appear after my 2nd deployment? Right...
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PO2 Gm Parada
“There is an acute health hazard for indi
viduals. There is also the possibility for
chronic health hazards associated with the smoke.”
Please contact me when you can...GM
“The smoke hazards [at Balad] are associ
ated with burning plastics, Styrofoam,
paper, wood, rubber, POL products, non-medical
waste, some metals, some chemicals
(paints, solvents, etc.), and in
complete combustion by-products.”
“Open bit burning may only be practical when it is the only available option and
should only be used in the interim until othe
r ways of disposal can be found. This
interim fix should not be years, but
more in the order of months.”
“It is amazing that the burn pit has been ab
le to operate without restrictions over the
past few years without significant engin
eering controls being put in place.”
4
I wrote the memo because, despite the acute health hazard associated with the use of the burn
pits, it was evident that the construction of the
incinerators at Balad was not moving forward. I
was told that there were contra
cting and/or money problems associ
ated with the construction of
the incinerators. Knowing that incinerators
could drastically reduce the service members’
exposure to the burn pit smoke, I drafted the memo
to document that there were real health
hazards associated with the burn pits.
I felt like my hands were tied when trying to
deal with the constant complaints from
service members exposed to the smoke. Most of these complaints, which included headaches,
nausea, irritation of the eyes a
nd upper respiratory complaints, we
re probably associated with
particulate matter. Air Force Commanders al
so called and asked what I was doing about the
burn pits. A commander contacted me to let me know he had Airmen who had vomited the night
before because of the thick smoke. In addition
to the possible long-term health problems from
potential carcinogens and other
toxins, the quality of life for t
hose thousands and thousands of
service members who had to br
eathe the thick smoke
for months on end was poor. Given the
lack of action in ending the use of the burn pits
at Balad, the most I could do was to let the
Airmen know the exposure would be included
in their medical records upon redeployment.
Although I could not help the current service
members at the time, I felt the memo might
expedite the construction of the incinerators
and possibly reduce the smoke exposure for service
members stationed at Balad in the future.
viduals. There is also the possibility for
chronic health hazards associated with the smoke.”
Please contact me when you can...GM
“The smoke hazards [at Balad] are associ
ated with burning plastics, Styrofoam,
paper, wood, rubber, POL products, non-medical
waste, some metals, some chemicals
(paints, solvents, etc.), and in
complete combustion by-products.”
“Open bit burning may only be practical when it is the only available option and
should only be used in the interim until othe
r ways of disposal can be found. This
interim fix should not be years, but
more in the order of months.”
“It is amazing that the burn pit has been ab
le to operate without restrictions over the
past few years without significant engin
eering controls being put in place.”
4
I wrote the memo because, despite the acute health hazard associated with the use of the burn
pits, it was evident that the construction of the
incinerators at Balad was not moving forward. I
was told that there were contra
cting and/or money problems associ
ated with the construction of
the incinerators. Knowing that incinerators
could drastically reduce the service members’
exposure to the burn pit smoke, I drafted the memo
to document that there were real health
hazards associated with the burn pits.
I felt like my hands were tied when trying to
deal with the constant complaints from
service members exposed to the smoke. Most of these complaints, which included headaches,
nausea, irritation of the eyes a
nd upper respiratory complaints, we
re probably associated with
particulate matter. Air Force Commanders al
so called and asked what I was doing about the
burn pits. A commander contacted me to let me know he had Airmen who had vomited the night
before because of the thick smoke. In addition
to the possible long-term health problems from
potential carcinogens and other
toxins, the quality of life for t
hose thousands and thousands of
service members who had to br
eathe the thick smoke
for months on end was poor. Given the
lack of action in ending the use of the burn pits
at Balad, the most I could do was to let the
Airmen know the exposure would be included
in their medical records upon redeployment.
Although I could not help the current service
members at the time, I felt the memo might
expedite the construction of the incinerators
and possibly reduce the smoke exposure for service
members stationed at Balad in the future.
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(0)
4
4
0
I personally watched an Air Force unit dump 11 4 Wheel drive ATV's into the burn pit. They ran and were serviceable. I asked if I could acquire them for use by my unit. They OIC/KBR operators of the burn pit said that once something was brought to the pit, it could never leave again. The Air force guys said they were not going to take them home when they redeployed because they were bought with GWOT money and were considered expendable. What a freaking waste. Tens of thousands of dollars burnt. In fact I saw so much stuff, including medical equipment and medical waste, going into the burn pit while I was there on several occasions. Waste, Waste, and more Waste.
(4)
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SGT Matthew Amedure
None of the military branches wanted to spend money bringing anything home. We basically burned or left trillions worth of equipment there. That's our tax dollars at work. That's why the wars costed so much money, they bought shut they never used and didn't care to being back to use or auction off. Assholes man. Fuck em. Fuck em all.
(3)
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SSG Jason Trammell
I had a friend (E7) who aquired one of these so called expendable items while in Afghanistan, a year later he faced a Court Martial cause his soon to be ex wife was trying to get him in trouble. I got thru it without a hitch, because he had a couple people tell him it was okay and also they couldn't find anyone that was actually signed for it, but, my opinion if u don't want that dang thing then why let it go to waste, give them to other incoming units instead of just throwing them in the garbage.
(1)
(0)
CW4 Russ Hamilton (Ret)
This kind of stuff makes me crazy. You should see what's happening at Bagram - mass destruction of gear and equipment.
(1)
(0)
PO2 Gm Parada
Let me know if we can help GM
“There is an acute health hazard for indi
viduals. There is also the possibility for
chronic health hazards associated with the smoke.”
“The smoke hazards [at Balad] are associ
ated with burning plastics, Styrofoam,
paper, wood, rubber, POL products, non-medical
waste, some metals, some chemicals
(paints, solvents, etc.), and in
complete combustion by-products.”
“Open bit burning may only be practical when it is the only available option and
should only be used in the interim until othe
r ways of disposal can be found. This
interim fix should not be years, but
more in the order of months.”
“It is amazing that the burn pit has been ab
le to operate without restrictions over the
past few years without significant engin
eering controls being put in place.”
4
I wrote the memo because, despite the acute health hazard associated with the use of the burn
pits, it was evident that the construction of the
incinerators at Balad was not moving forward. I
was told that there were contra
cting and/or money problems associ
ated with the construction of
the incinerators. Knowing that incinerators
could drastically reduce the service members’
exposure to the burn pit smoke, I drafted the memo
to document that there were real health
hazards associated with the burn pits.
I felt like my hands were tied when trying to
deal with the constant complaints from
service members exposed to the smoke. Most of these complaints, which included headaches,
nausea, irritation of the eyes a
nd upper respiratory complaints, we
re probably associated with
particulate matter. Air Force Commanders al
so called and asked what I was doing about the
burn pits. A commander contacted me to let me know he had Airmen who had vomited the night
before because of the thick smoke. In addition
to the possible long-term health problems from
potential carcinogens and other
toxins, the quality of life for t
hose thousands and thousands of
service members who had to br
eathe the thick smoke
for months on end was poor. Given the
lack of action in ending the use of the burn pits
at Balad, the most I could do was to let the
Airmen know the exposure would be included
in their medical records upon redeployment.
Although I could not help the current service
members at the time, I felt the memo might
expedite the construction of the incinerators
and possibly reduce the smoke exposure for service
members stationed at Balad in the future.
“There is an acute health hazard for indi
viduals. There is also the possibility for
chronic health hazards associated with the smoke.”
“The smoke hazards [at Balad] are associ
ated with burning plastics, Styrofoam,
paper, wood, rubber, POL products, non-medical
waste, some metals, some chemicals
(paints, solvents, etc.), and in
complete combustion by-products.”
“Open bit burning may only be practical when it is the only available option and
should only be used in the interim until othe
r ways of disposal can be found. This
interim fix should not be years, but
more in the order of months.”
“It is amazing that the burn pit has been ab
le to operate without restrictions over the
past few years without significant engin
eering controls being put in place.”
4
I wrote the memo because, despite the acute health hazard associated with the use of the burn
pits, it was evident that the construction of the
incinerators at Balad was not moving forward. I
was told that there were contra
cting and/or money problems associ
ated with the construction of
the incinerators. Knowing that incinerators
could drastically reduce the service members’
exposure to the burn pit smoke, I drafted the memo
to document that there were real health
hazards associated with the burn pits.
I felt like my hands were tied when trying to
deal with the constant complaints from
service members exposed to the smoke. Most of these complaints, which included headaches,
nausea, irritation of the eyes a
nd upper respiratory complaints, we
re probably associated with
particulate matter. Air Force Commanders al
so called and asked what I was doing about the
burn pits. A commander contacted me to let me know he had Airmen who had vomited the night
before because of the thick smoke. In addition
to the possible long-term health problems from
potential carcinogens and other
toxins, the quality of life for t
hose thousands and thousands of
service members who had to br
eathe the thick smoke
for months on end was poor. Given the
lack of action in ending the use of the burn pits
at Balad, the most I could do was to let the
Airmen know the exposure would be included
in their medical records upon redeployment.
Although I could not help the current service
members at the time, I felt the memo might
expedite the construction of the incinerators
and possibly reduce the smoke exposure for service
members stationed at Balad in the future.
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3
3
0
I was at FOB Kalsu in '03-'04. We slept right next to the burn pits. We also used JP-8 to burn our own poo. We were at the southern boarder of the Suni triangle, on MSR Tampa. We were self sustaining MP Co. So no KBR for us. I have has some major issues since then.
(3)
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SGT Matthew Amedure
Yeah we used jp-8 to burn our shit on all of my deployments. We also used it to burn everything else they made us.
(1)
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MSG (Join to see)
This burn pit issue was well known to be a danger way back at the beginning of the first gulf war. There were studies and reports done. NO action taken by the DOD.
(0)
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