What barriers have you experienced at the VA due to exposure to burn pits or airborne toxins?

CAPT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 06 Jul 2018 11:00:26 -0400

I will be sitting on a Congressional round table discussing burn pits and airborne toxins in a few days and I'm interested in anecdotal info on any barriers experienced I can use as examples. DM me if you don't want to share here.

Response by CSM Richard StCyr made Jul 6 at 2018 12:04 PM

CSM Richard StCyr — Fri, 06 Jul 2018 12:04:44 -0400

No barriers really, but a lack of info available on what level of exposure to the sites or operations should be a reasonable place to even start to be concerned.
For example:
-In the 2003 invasion of Iraq we built the pipeline from Kuwait to up past Tallil airbase about 220 miles. Each company had a base camp with it's own dump and burn pit as well as the burn out latrines. So should all our troops be concerned or no. I ask, I get a shrug.
-In the 05-07 rotation to Iraq we were DS to 4ID we had Soldiers tasked on a rotational basis to supervise and monitor the Victory base, dump and burn pits and our troops spread all over the Baghdad AO working in construction support roles. The Troops would live on the COPs , OPs, FOBs of whomever they were supporting and subsequently were subject to the smoke from those Dumps and burn pits. Also the diesel generators running day and night. Again same question.

So that's a unit that operated between 900 and 1200 Soldiers at any given time in theatre exposed to burning trash and feces. The unit deployed again largely intact on the heels of the 05-07 deployment after I left. Same basic support mission at nearly the same strength with basically the same exposures.

The answers I'd like are; who was at risk and what durations of exposure should be of concern. If the answer is "anyone who was exposed" then that's nearly every Service member deployed on the ground from our unit or about 1200 minimum. Imagine the number if you multiply that out by just units in similar circumstances and then by the duration of the War on Terror. The number pretty quickly becomes astronomical.

Response by SFC Douglas Duckett made Jul 6 at 2018 1:20 PM

SFC Douglas Duckett — Fri, 06 Jul 2018 13:20:33 -0400

I have registered on the burn pit register. The thing I am worried about is how long it will take to solidify "if" the pits actually contribute to illnesses/complications. Then wait for the specific diagnosis of the illness associated with the pits.

Even if the VA (Government) decides to allow for service connected disability ratings on "burn pit syndrome (or whatever they will call it)" , I worry they will try to hide any symptoms in other illnesses to lower compensation rates.

I deployed in 2003 and was on a small "combat outpost" where we burned our human and other waste material. This was a continuous issues during our occupation of that site. I now have been diagnosed with COPD (amounts many other issues). I have some very real concerns about my health following my deployment, things that are now just becoming evident.

I guess my question is, how is the VA going to determine if someone's illness or complications to other illnesses be related to the pits? Or, will they just give an across the board 10% like they do for tinnitus?

For one of the first times in my deteriorating memory, I am unsure if I am making any sense. This sucks, I am normally more articulate in my writing.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Jul 6 at 2018 8:51 PM

CAPT Kevin B. — Fri, 06 Jul 2018 20:51:12 -0400

Besides the varied toxic material aspects, make sure you're up on where this is from a legal/liability perspective. We've already had a ruling from an Administrative Law Judge from Department of Labor that lung problems are connected to the pits. Good news is it's a ruling. Tough to predict if other Agencies will buy into it fully and later recognizing the full gamut of problems. More likely nowadays vs. Agent Orange and Mustard Gas Testing. VA ran and hid from the later so my dad was declared a case of tinnitus although his body was scorched. The Fed Appeals tossed the pile of suits against KBR which means deep pocket commercial is off the hook. It does more to put VA in the position that they can run but cannot hide. Problem is yes you get free care, whatever and how far you have to drive that is, and maybe up to $3400?/month tops. Like all the other cases in the past, it'll be too little, too late. But it is something and it is moving on, good, bad, or indifferent.

Response by SSG William Jones made Aug 25 at 2018 11:50 AM

SSG William Jones — Sat, 25 Aug 2018 11:50:25 -0400

I registered and... it's "LIKE IT NEVER EVEN HAPPENED'.