From Service to Sick: A Look at U.S. Military Burn Pits

Thousands of American military veterans have come back from service in the Middle East the last two decades with respiratory problems, possibly related to the use of burn pits, according to veterans and researchers.

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Two veterans' advocacy groups are also working to raise awareness and on behalf of vets:

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[kennethheying]

They are not the only ones affected. I served in the Army 21 years and then served in Baghdad for Eight years as a contractor for KBR. I was in transportation and they set up our motor pool right next to the burn pits. We also lived on base right next to the troops. I bring this up because their is no voice for the contractors affected and seems like any law suit for them was dismissed or drugged on for years. Is any law makers looking out for those people?

[andrewtoombs]

in 2004, when I was in Iraq, the Burn Pit ran day and night, sometimes bigger smoke, sometimes less smoke. KBR SHOULD HAVE SORTED THE MATERIAL, & Burned Classified Information. There is a Serious Cover up on this Topic.

[dcavic]

I was a reservist Army, deployed 2015 as a 25U attached to a combat heavy engineer eliment, ran about 20 miles a week. Came home and was told "my body was acumilating to the home home enviorement. 1 year went by went to the VA in Framingham MA, saying im still having issues breathing when I run and clogged nose and sinus. They said it was allergies, year after year after year. I tried running 2 miles 3x a week to pass police exams for months. At the end of each run I was sucking wind. Figured I was getting old in my mid 30s, but my body knew something wasnt right. Put in a claim in 2022 for the burning pits, did a FVE-1 blew 54-8% 3 times. They urged me to get primary care, gave me 2 inhailers that I need to take 6x a day. Still no VA claim as its Seasonal allergies that last a life time apperantly.... Thanks Uncle Sam. But seriously, if any of you fuckers come home and notice your not breathing like your used to and its not fucking allergies or "getting used to being home" get checked out asap and ask for tests like I wished I did.

[MisterCereal]

This is an absolute disgrace to our country. Sending those who volunteer to fight our wars and unnecessarily exposing them to dangerous chemicals which can make them sick. More needs to be done, and somebody needs to be held accountable. These vets deserve all of the compensation for this exposure, and there needs to be a solution put in place to prevent this from happening in the future!

[ryanhall]

When the Doctor said “it might be making them sick” that’s exactly why i lost all respect for the VA hospitals and now only go to private doctors and specialist

[CloveCoast]

“It MIGHT be”
are you fucking kidding me

[forumicebreaker]

It's more widespread of a problem and it goes back into the late 1990's.

People that were exposed before Afghanistan/Iraq and stationed in other places are getting left out and have been unforgivably neglected.


Veterans have to prove their illness and the government doesn't want to care.

[blasphemy]

Let’s thank our politicians who exposed us to this.

[crujones]

How did they not know that when they lit those fires. They should’ve just buried it they had plenty of people and machines to do it.

[vanessaclark]

Learn at about the burn pits I had bugs all over me. You speaking to people they think they affected

[WaltSalll]

Sometimes you don't see the results it's like corona vaccine it takes time for the results to show up.

[ClydeTyme]

I can barely walk up stairs due to months of burn pit operations

[larrymiller]

I was in balad Iraq 04-06 and the hundreds of oil wells burning. I have 8 of the 10 non cancerous illnesses. Plus the malaria meds that they overdosed us with caused my tinnitus and acoustic schwanomma i had removed and a vestibular schwannoma on my brainstem inoperable. I was a kbr crane operator is it my fault hell no. I was lied to because of the medical testing not allowed stateside

[jonroberts]

Any soldiers and contractors suffer non-tbi seizures ?

[sugarcookie]

imagine what the iraqis and afghans are living with, they did this next to their homes

[MrMexicansteve]

I was burning piss and shit. Got pics lol

[attiumeyami]

so im not a tactical genius in any way, nor have I ever served in the military so this may be a stupid question and out of my ignorance Im ok with getting a dumb answer if I deserve one, but im gonna ask it anyways.

If this trash is so dangerous and burining it causes cancer and health hazards due to the fumes that make the toxic chemicals airborne, then why was it not dropped on the Taliban instead of the field adjacent to US bases? like seriously it probably costs less than the ordinance you guys dropped regularly during those days u could have probably even created an area denial zone, even stuffed a couple goodies inside those bottles (whatever u can imagine) to return the thanks for all their IED's.


but on a serious note, its like why f*ck up ur soldiers on the frontline. at the very least you can burry that sh*t and not incinerate it. shure its not good for the environment but war isn't good for the environment anyways. I mean thats just my 2 cents, using chemical and biological warfare on your own soldiers is usually not a good idea.

[vanessaclark]

Not all true transportation took your trash out. Only officers get looked at!

[MotivateGreat]

Saves billions in disposal costs.. They can always recruit more soldiers

[OldRusty]

the military needs large towable trash burner gasifiers get some fuel out of that trash and save our troops health.