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The Cost of Burn Pits, Part Two: Healthcare for Veterans


 
The Cost of Burn Pits, Part Two: Healthcare for Veterans

by Marisa De La Villa 

On the battlefield, soldiers are trained to identify any outward threats, whether that be enemy combatants or incoming fire– they should be able to recognize them with no problem. But, what happens when the biggest threat to their health and safety comes from right under their noses? The thick, toxic smoke that came from the massive burn pits used in the wars in the Middle East exposed thousands of veterans to life-threatening illnesses and chronic health issues that still affect them today.1


After years of being silenced and this struggle going almost unnoticed, the true cost of burn pits is finally gaining attention throughout the world. With advocacy groups and affected veterans fighting for recognition, proper medical care, and overall accountability, people are finally understanding the dangers posed through this practice of using burn pits on foreign and wartorn ground.2 The impact of war doesn’t simply vanish when a soldier leaves the battlefield– it lingers in their minds, in their hearts, and in their bodies. It plagues the landscapes and ecosystems that were destroyed in the process of war. Though it’s not a perfect response, and there is still much left to be answered, the United States established the Burn Pit Registry, where service members and veterans can document their exposure, track their health, and help contribute to ongoing research efforts on the long-term effects of this deadly practice.3  The fight for both human and environmental accountability continues today, even after these fires have burned out.


After a decade of struggle, veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are finally getting the recognition, care, and aid they deserve after being exposed to the toxicity created by the burn pits they were stationed near. The United States government is committed to addressing health care benefits and disability compensation for veterans exposed to burn pits during their service. The Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act was introduced  in the 117th Congress to improve both the healthcare and services for veterans exposed to toxic substances.4  Its goal was to extend the eligibility period of Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) health care services for veterans who served after September 11, 2001, and were exposed to radiation, toxic substances, and other hazardous conditions. This extension was crucial to those who were not able to register during the original sign-up period5. Additionally, the bill proposed incorporating toxic exposure screenings to the already existing VA health care procedures and called for annual training for healthcare personnel on issues related to toxic exposures. On February 16, 2022, this bill passed the Senate.6


The Veterans Burn Pits Exposure Recognition Act of 2021 was introduced in the 117th Congress to address the healthcare benefits and disability compensation for veterans who have been exposed to burn pits during their service7. The bill asks the VA to acknowledge that the veterans who served in specific locations and periods were exposed to substances from burn pits. This would directly eliminate their individual needs to prove exposure. Some of these locations include Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan, Jordan, Lebanon, and many others.8  If the veteran’s evidence is insufficient, and for some reason doesn’t quite match with a service connection for disability compensation, it is the VA’s responsibility to provide medical examination and seek an opinion between disability and exposure. Overall, the goal of this bill is to simplify the process for affected veterans to receive healthcare and benefits by serving as a formal recognition of their exposure to hazardous and toxic substances as a result of being stationed near the burn pits during service.9

 

Notes

  1. “Exposure to Burn Pits and Other Specific Environmental Hazards,” Veterans Affairs, accessed March 21, 2025, https://www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/hazardous-materials-exposure/specific-environmental-hazards/.
  2. 10 things to know about burn pits - VA public health, accessed March 22, 2025, https://www.publichealth.va.gov/docs/exposures/ten-things-to-know-fact-sheet.pdf.
  3.  Veterans Health Administration US Department of Veterans Affairs, “Va.Gov: Veterans Affairs,” Protect your health, December 13, 2013, https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/burnpits/registry.asp.
  4. S.3541 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Health Care For Burn Pit veterans act | congress.gov | library of Congress, accessed April 21, 2025, https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3541.
  5. Ibid.
  6. Ibid.
  7.  H.R.2436 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Veterans Burn Pits Exposure Recognition Act of 2021 | congress.gov | library of Congress, accessed April 21, 2025, https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2436/text.
  8. Ibid.
  9. Ibid.

 

Works Cited:

 

“Exposure to Burn Pits and Other Specific Environmental Hazards.” Veterans Affairs. Accessed March 21, 2025. https://www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/hazardous-materials-exposure/specific-environmental-hazards/. 

H.R.2436 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Veterans Burn Pits Exposure Recognition Act of 2021 | congress.gov | library of Congress. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2436/text. 

S.3541 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Health Care For Burn Pit veterans act | congress.gov | library of Congress. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3541. 

US Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration. “Va.Gov: Veterans Affairs.” Protect your health, December 13, 2013. https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/burnpits/registry.asp. 

10 things to know about burn pits - VA public health. Accessed March 22, 2025. https://www.publichealth.va.gov/docs/exposures/ten-things-to-know-fact-sheet.pdf. 



transcripción en español

En el campo de batalla, los soldados reciben entrenamiento para identificar cualquier amenaza externa, ya sea combatientes enemigos o fuego entrante; deben ser capaces de reconocerlas sin dificultad. Sin embargo, ¿qué sucede cuando la mayor amenaza para su salud y seguridad sale de donde menos lo esperan? El humo denso y tóxico que emanaba de las enormes hogueras utilizadas durante las guerras en el Medio Oriente expuso a miles de veteranos a enfermedades potencialmente mortales y afecciones crónicas que aún los afectan en la actualidad.

Luego de años de silencio y de que esta lucha pasara casi desapercibida, el verdadero costo de las hogueras finalmente está recibiendo atención a nivel mundial. Gracias a la labor de grupos de defensa y de veteranos afectados que exigen reconocimiento, atención médica adecuada y que alguien tome responsabilidad por esto, cada vez más personas van entendiendo los peligros asociados con esta práctica en territorios extranjeros devastados por la guerra. El impacto de la guerra no desaparece cuando un soldado abandona el campo de batalla: permanece en su mente, en su corazón y en su cuerpo. Afecta también los paisajes y ecosistemas destruidos durante el conflicto. Aunque la respuesta no ha sido perfecta y aún quedan muchas preguntas por ser contestadas, el gobierno de los Estados Unidos creó el Registro de Hogueras, en el cual los militares en servicio y los veteranos pueden documentar su exposición, monitorear su salud y contribuir a investigaciones en curso sobre los efectos a largo plazo de esta práctica letal. La lucha por la justicia humana y ambiental continúa, incluso después de que estos fuegos han sido extintos.

Tras una década de lucha, los veteranos que sirvieron en Iraq y Afganistán finalmente están recibiendo el reconocimiento, la atención y la asistencia que merecen luego de haber sido expuestos a la toxicidad generada por las hogueras cercanas a sus lugares de servicio. El gobierno de los Estados Unidos se ha comprometido a atender los beneficios de salud y la compensación por discapacidad de los veteranos expuestos durante su servicio. La Ley de Atención Médica para Veteranos Expuestos a Hogueras fue presentada en el 117.º Congreso con el objetivo de mejorar tanto los servicios médicos como la atención que reciben los veteranos afectados por sustancias tóxicas. Esta ley proponía extender el período de elegibilidad para los servicios médicos del Departamento de Asuntos del Veterano (VA, por sus siglas en inglés) a aquellos veteranos que sirvieron después del 11 de septiembre de 2001 y que estuvieron expuestos a radiación, sustancias tóxicas y otras condiciones peligrosas. Dicha extensión resultó crucial para aquellos que no pudieron inscribirse durante el período original. Asimismo, la ley planteó incorporar evaluaciones de exposición tóxica dentro de los procedimientos de atención médica ya existentes del VA, y establecer entrenamiento anual para el personal de salud sobre temas relacionados con exposiciones tóxicas. Esta medida fue aprobada por el Senado el 16 de febrero de 2022.

Por su parte, la Ley de Reconocimiento de Exposición a Hogueras para Veteranos, presentada en el mismo Congreso, buscó atender el tema de los beneficios de salud y la compensación por discapacidad para los veteranos expuestos a estas condiciones durante su servicio militar. La legislación solicita al VA que reconozca que los veteranos que sirvieron en ciertos lugares y periodos específicos estuvieron expuestos a sustancias provenientes de las hogueras, eliminando así la carga de tener que demostrar individualmente dicha exposición. Entre los lugares incluidos se encuentran Iraq, Somalia, Afganistán, Jordania, Líbano, entre muchos otros. Si la evidencia presentada por el veterano fuese insuficiente o no se correspondiese plenamente con los requisitos para establecer una conexión directa para compensación por discapacidad, el VA tiene la responsabilidad de realizar una evaluación médica y emitir una opinión profesional sobre la posible relación entre la exposición y la condición médica. En última instancia, el propósito de esta ley es facilitar el proceso mediante el cual los veteranos afectados puedan acceder a servicios de salud y beneficios, al constituir un reconocimiento formal de su exposición a sustancias peligrosas y tóxicas durante su servicio cerca de las hogueras.




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