Veterans Haunted by Decades-Long Delays in Acknowledging Toxic Exposures

In a sobering report released on Wednesday, the Military Officers Association of America and DAV (formerly Disabled American Veterans) shed light on a troubling reality faced by countless American veterans – the painfully long wait times they have endured for the government to recognize and address the health issues stemming from their toxic exposures during military service. The analysis, which spanned a century of military conflicts, revealed that sick veterans have waited an average of 31.4 years from their initial contact with hazardous substances to the formal acknowledgment of the link between those exposures and their disabilities.

The Enduring Legacy of Agent Orange

One of the most infamous examples of this systemic failure is the Agent Orange debacle. Nearly 2.7 million service members who fought in the Vietnam War were potentially exposed to this carcinogenic herbicide between 1962 and 1975. Yet, it took almost three decades for Congress to pass the Agent Orange Act of 1991, which finally established a connection between the chemical and certain cancers and diseases. In the intervening years, countless veterans suffered without the support and compensation they deserved, and some even perished before seeing justice.

The Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Tragedy

The Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit stands as another grim testament to the government’s sluggish response to toxic exposures. From 1953 to 1987, up to 1 million people who lived or worked at the U.S. Marine Corps training facility in North Carolina were allegedly exposed to a drinking water supply tainted with chemicals linked to severe health problems, including cancers, Parkinson’s disease, birth defects, and female infertility. Yet, it wasn’t until 2012 that Congress passed a law providing health care and other benefits to qualifying veterans and their families affected by this environmental disaster.

Karshi-Khanabad Air Base: A Toxic Minefield

The plight of veterans stationed at the Karshi-Khanabad Air Base in Uzbekistan, known as K2, further exemplifies the government’s failure to swiftly acknowledge and address toxic exposures. From 2001 to 2005, more than 15,000 service members deployed to K2 in support of the war in Afghanistan, encountering a host of hazardous substances, including volatile organic compounds from jet fuel vapors and depleted uranium. Despite the clear evidence of these exposures, it took until recently for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to begin the process of formally recognizing the health risks faced by K2 veterans.

Barriers to Disability Compensation

For veterans adversely affected by toxic exposures during military service, the road to obtaining disability compensation has been arduous. Army Staff Sgt. Mark Jackson, who kept a meticulous journal documenting his deteriorating health while stationed at K2 and who now suffers from a range of ailments, including an underactive thyroid, irritable bowel syndrome, and osteoporosis, was only approved for compensation related to his thyroid disease. The Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, passed in August 2022, made all K2 veterans eligible for VA health care for every condition, but they still face a higher burden of proof to demonstrate that their illnesses were directly caused by their toxic exposures during military service.

Inadequate Research and Oversight

The recent report by the Military Officers Association of America and DAV highlights the critical need for more comprehensive research, monitoring, and oversight regarding military toxic exposures. The authors argue that the lack of proactive investigation and documentation has contributed to the prolonged delays in recognizing the health consequences faced by veterans. They call on Congress to enact legislation that would expand and fund these essential activities, ensuring that the government is better equipped to identify and address toxic exposure issues in a timely manner.

The PACT Act: A Step in the Right Direction

The recent passage of the PACT Act in August 2022 represents a significant step forward in addressing the issue of toxic exposures among veterans. This legislation expanded benefits to millions of service members who were exposed to burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan and also included provisions for veterans exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, between 1953 and 1987. While this is a positive development, advocates argue that more needs to be done to ensure that all veterans, regardless of their deployment location, receive the recognition and compensation they deserve for toxic exposures.