 “Airborne hazard” refers to any sort of contaminant or potentially toxic substance that we are exposed to through the air we breathe. While on active duty, military service members may have been exposed to a variety of airborne hazards. In Iraq, Afghanistan, and other areas of the Southwest Asia theater of military operations, open-air combustion of trash and other waste in burn pits was a common practice. Certain illnesses are associated with Burn Pit Exposure for Service Members that served in Southwest Asia. For more information: https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/burnpits/
The VA also lists health conditions that are presumed to be caused by Burn Pit exposures. This means if you served in one of the listed areas during certain timeframes and have one of these conditions, the VA assumes it is related to your service. Conditions include but are not limited to:
Chronic Sinusitis/Rhinitis
Asthma
COPD
Certain Cancers
To see the full list of presumptive health conditions, visit: https://www.publichealth.va.gov/PUBLICHEALTH/exposures/burnpits/index.asp
Need Help or Have Questions?
If you have concerns about your Burn Pit exposures or want to complete a Military Environmental Exposure Assessment (MEEA) to further discuss your Burn Pit exposure concerns, contact our Environmental Health Coordinator:
Tonya Kemper
Phone: 701-232-3241 ext. 2982
Email: Tonya.Kemper@va.gov
Filing a Claim
If you want to file a claim for Gulf War exposure, you can:
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