Don't worry. The VA is probably already doing their own duck and cover on this condition. After millions of dollars blown on studies and at least 10 to 15 years, the VA will probably offer some half-baked excuse for why these veterans are dying from this problem. The last person the VA is going to care about is the veteran

Do what you can to help these guys. Email, write and/or call your representatives in DC and let them know you are watching how they vote on issues regarding taking care of our Vets.

Also, research charities that help these guys and donate to the ones who put the largest portion of you dollar into actually helping and not excessive program expenses.

Thanks to all you Vets of all our wars.

All for the sake of oil. Sad. Very sad.

Having minored in toxicology, and worked with the DoD before, here's what they'll do:

1. Claim the study group was too small

2. Claim there's not enough of one distinguishable exposure to correlate it to anything.

3. Proclaim further study is required to "get to the bottom" of it.

Here's the reality of it, they burn literally tons of toxic garbage on-base all over Iraq and Afghanistan. $hit conditions 3rd world cultures wouldn't even live near. Here's an excerpt from an article on it back in 2008 -

Black smoke billowing from 10 acres of burning tires, batteries, asbestos, and amputated human body parts is a daily ritual at Camp Taji, a U.S. military base north of Baghdad, Iraq. Each day, 120 tons of garbage is dowsed in jet fuel and burned in this huge burn pit. Unfortunately, 800 Army National Guard troops are stationed about 100 yards from the giant crater.

The toxic fumes emanating from this pit regularly drift or snow down onto Camp Taji, leaving ash and trash particles on the base and on soldiers. “It hovers over like a blanket. After it rains, you'll get puddles of stuff. It's like a yellowish, brackish color. It looks metallic. It's just disgusting,” said Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Ethier. Former Army Sgt. Bill McKenna said he could actually taste the smoke. Many soldiers even say when they blow their noses, a black substance comes out.

Full article - http://knowledgebase.findlaw.com/kb/2011/Jan/246219.html

I was stuck in Camp Taji in 2007 and 2010. The entire base is surrounded by burning trash. In the evening and morning it's so thick with smoke you can't see 75m in front of you. While on patrols you would get stuck for hours walking through it, and standing next to where they were burning. It wasn't just Taji though, Anaconda was just as bad, VBC too. The sand storms you were at least able to cover your face with a damp rag and it would filter some of it out. The civilians were given disposable masks to help filter it out. But there was nothing short of donning a gas mask in 130 degree temps that you could do to keep from inhaling the vapors from the burn pits. That will probably be the answer, they'll fight it and say we were given MOP gear and we should have worn our masks.

Oh yeah, there is no way to ever describe how bad it smells either... I wouldn't even know what to compare it to. Maybe a mixture of diesel fuel, feces and antifreeze? But it's a smell you never forget and no matter how many times you go be it Iraq or Afghanistan it's the first thing you smell coming off that plane.

This is a repost:

Our "Troops" are more like the Centurions in the Holy Roman Empire. I am a Veteran of Vietnam, as soldiers we just serve the interests of the Elite. Off to this place, off to that place, no winning. Great honors while in combat, then forgotten. Lives ruined for no justifiable reason. Struggling on a pittance disability allowance, unable to compete due to injury, no chance for upward mobility. Then again to sacrifice our sons, because they had few choices to escape a similar fate. If you are a member of the Elite, then you also sacrifice nothing for your position in Society; you and yours get to be the Drones on the backs of the workers and the Centurions, sieg heil das corporato.

(Max Benefit [!00%] is less than 3g/mo)

Of course they saw it but politicians only wanted them to think about defending their oil interest ... I mean um defending our country. Stop being unpatriotic and pipe down. You might be accused of treason. Nothing to see here, move along...

I was one of the soldiers that got the biopsy from Dr. Miller. He is the only one to my knowledge that is aware of the condition. He works at Vanderbilt U. hospital in Nashville, TN. You would probably have to get in contact with him to get diagnosed. The only reason that I got anything from the VA was because I got retired from the military and they just copied what the Army gave me. Even still you have to take your medical care in your own hands the pulmonologist I saw from the VA I had to take in articles and tell them what was wrong. At least look him up and try to get in touch maybe he could talk Doc to Doc with the VA and let them know what is going on without the biopsy.

I thought the same thing when I read this. We have indeed made these countries super radioactive. In another reply, I noted that the US has refused to divulge the location (not to mention the quantity), where they used these bombs. Even Britain has submitted this information to Iraq, but then Britain is more environmental friendlier than the US.

And did you serve in Iraq or Afghanistan? Or get exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam? What a terrible thing to say.

The environmental destruction we have caused in Iraq and Afghanistan, as outlined in "The Green Zone: The Environmental Costs of Militarism" (based on true, researched facts), is horrific. Not only have we exposed our troops to this, but we have also exposed innocent men, women and children of these countries. Birth defects are off the chart since the start of the wars.

Add to this the dump burning in Iraq (and I'm sure it was also done in Afghanistan) in military compounds, which continued even after the military acknowledged it was a health hazard to the troops.

The US is the only country that has refused to give exact locations of where they used radioactive bombs in order for Iraq to clean up the radiation (even Britain gave these locations).

It is time for the US to bring our troops home out of harm's way - for the 1 million $ per year (the military's estimate) it spends for each military personnel in these wars, this would be better spent taking care of them back home and our dire economy.

How despicable! Our men and women have been fighting wars for us, and we must care for them. No matter what we think of war, it goes on, and we have the moral obligation to care for the wounded, whether by weapon or by KBR burn pits (I'd not known about that one - leave it to Cheney, eh?).

Please note, ranknfile, for you probably want to crash our economy, that we owe these fighters our care and their stipend.

You tell 'im Shebail & RBW!

And these 'malingerers' you speak of...they actually MAY be hurting. I've done my time, and I think it's safe to say who the 'real' malingerers are...they aren't hacking, huffing, hobbling, or otherwise hurt.

'nuff said.

Shame on you, rank. How dare you minimize the problems vets return home with. My son is an Iraq war vet and has had a lot of problems. He came home with TB, and that took a year of treatment. He has TBI, PTSD and various shrapnel wounds that create problems as it moves around. I know he has been exposed to many hazards and this country had better fulfill its obligations to our veterans. They deserve a hell of a lot more than what they got and what they will get.

It has taken them forever to accept PTSD. For probably centuries, those who couldn't handle the horrors of war have been told to suck it up. Well, that doesn't always work. We need to take care of our troops.

THank you for the props, Wm.Sanders.

It's not possible to smoke too much weed.

And weed isn't debilitating to the lungs like tobacco or DU particulate.

Don't give up, keep fighting for what is right. My son was there for 15 months during those years (til 2009) and has problems, so far the VA has been helpful, but there are veterans groups that you should look at too - I think they may have information and they advocate veterans issues. We all have to insist that vets get what the care they deserve from this country. Good luck to you.

Here is a directory of veterans groups

http://veteransnetwork.net/directory.php