DOD FAILS TO TRACK MILITARY BURN PIT EXPOSURE ENDANGERING VETERAN HEALTH


By akirschbaum
Soldier with military burn pit exposure.

There are plenty of health risk factors when a person has exposure to smoke and other harmful chemicals. Surprisingly, the U.S. military is not accurately tracking military burn pit exposure. The Pentagon's internal watchdog pinpointed this issue. During the Afghan and Iraq wars, due to the lack of a proper disposal system, service members used pits to dispose of their waste, and set it on fire. Some things they burned include: chemicals, rubber, plastics, and other items that turn when exposed to heat.

The Issue of Military Burn Pit Exposure

Being stationed near a bun pit may pose a lot of health risk factors. Those who have bases near the pits are more likely to acquire diseases such as asthma and hypertension after constant exposure. The good thing is, in 2022, President Joe Biden signed a bill to speed up the benefits of those military burn pit exposure cases. To counter the allegation, the Defense Department Inspector General said that the Pentagon might have monitored burn pits near military sites that weren't created by the U.S. military but by other parties. From November to April, the Office of the Inspector General focused on the audit of Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti. The reports show a critical gap in the policy. The Department of Defense does not require its military commanders to watch over the burn pits made by locals, just those created by the U.S. military. Without other policies concerning local pits, service members may have exposure to harmful chemicals. They may also have their health at risk due to burn pits. Robert Storch, the Pentagon's inspector general, mentioned that the policy gap in reporting and determining non-DoD-controlled burn pits might result in information mismatch on the DoD's watch list.Storch even recommended that the policy of the Pentagon about burn pits should be amended, saying that commanders in the field should require their combatant commander to report any pits within the 2.5 miles of American military sites. In response to the recommendation, Deputy Assistant Secretary Ronald Tickle agreed to Storch's proposal. He mentioned that he would revise the policy to make it more straightforward for the burn pits military exposures.

What Are the Risks of Burn Pit Exposure?

Being exposed to burn pits, in the long run, may result in poor health. Thus, Veterans who are near these pits are more prone to have health issues. This includes: heart disease, hypertension, and asthma. This is in comparison to civilians who have toxic air exposure. These findings were by the American Medical Association, which observed nearly 460,000 Vets obtaining medical care from the VA. The authors of the study mentioned that these were the results of the study based on the 126 U.S. troops deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and nearby countries from 2001 to 2011. Researchers have observed that there was a notable increase in terms of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases around those former military burn pit exposure. Servicemembers with continual exposure to burn pits have a high chance of suffering after a few years. The research is part of the long list of studies suggesting detrimental health effects of burn pits military exposures. Authors of the study from various universities credited the Defense Department officials for releasing the data on troop deployment. This information is the gatekeeper in managing possible health outcomes of deployment-related exposures.

New Report Reveals That Commanders Don't Have to Monitor Non-DoD Burn Pits

Now, there is a new report from the DoD Office of Inspector General. Military commanders don't have to monitor non-DoD burn pits. This is true even if the burn pit is located near a DoD occupied site. As a result, service members who were exposed to toxic smoke and burn pits that were not on an official DoD site, many not have their burn pit exposure listed on their medical records. In light of this new report's release, burn pit victims are hoping that operational commanders will now have to make an official report when a burn pit is up to 4,000 meters away from living quarters, dinning halls, and work areas. Commanders would also have to make a report when Soldiers are near non-DoD burn pits.

Military Burn Pit Exposure & the Solution of the Government

Due to the dangers faced by service members stationed near burn pits, in 2021, Congress approved the "Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act," also known as the PACT Act. Aside from expanding health care coverage for Vets, the PACT Act even supports researchers in terms of the health effects of military exposures. One of its results was the Military Exposures Research Program (MERP). Its role is to fund VA researchers to understand better and cure the health effects of military exposures.While these studies are essential, they may change shortly. This includes studying the safe proximity to burn pits and estimating the intensity of airborne toxins. Now, the PACT Act is widening eligibility for health care and VA disability payment. This is for those who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other groups. He added that Vets should be aware that they are qualified for those services. Additionally, the department is continually measuring military burn pit exposure. They are ensuring that the Veterans are getting the services they deserve.Harmful chemical exposure is impacting millions of Veterans. Those new studies should be a wake-up call to better understand the extent of the problem. They should also guarantee appropriate screening and prevention efforts for those with exposure. Most researchers suggest that their study should be used as a model for further examining the health impacts of military burn pit exposure.Related reads:


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