Posted on Jul 28, 2015
Ailing Vets Sue, Say Toxic Burn Pits Cost Them Their Health
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Hundreds of soldiers who've come home from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan now are battling the very companies that helped operate their base camps, claiming constant exposure to toxins from open-air burn pits has wrecked their health.
David Montoya, 44, of Farmington is one of newest litigants suing the companies. Cancer that started in his colon has spread to his lungs, and his doctor told him in February that he had about two years to live. Montoya says the cause of his cancer was contaminated water supplied by the military contractors, and from breathing in smoke from the burn pits.
Montoya filed his lawsuit last week in state District Court in Santa Fe against Halliburton Co., KBR Inc. and Kellogg, Brown & Root Services LLC. In doing so, he joined almost 250 other former and active military personnel who are suing the companies, which provided water treatment and waste disposal services in Iraq and Afghanistan. Two other soldiers from New Mexico, both in poor health, jointly filed a suit against the companies six years ago. At one point, a federal judge in Maryland rejected suits against the military contractors, but an appeals court reversed that decision. With the case alive, soldiers who are dying say they have a chance to shed light on wartime actions that placed profits over people.
Burn pits were part of the American war effort as a means of keeping bases functional. Afire constantly, they burned plastics, metals, chemicals and every form of waste, say soldiers who served at the outposts. Contaminated jet fuel often ignited the burn pits.
Read more:
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/07/27/ailing-vets-sue-say-toxic-burn-pits-cost-them-their-health.html
David Montoya, 44, of Farmington is one of newest litigants suing the companies. Cancer that started in his colon has spread to his lungs, and his doctor told him in February that he had about two years to live. Montoya says the cause of his cancer was contaminated water supplied by the military contractors, and from breathing in smoke from the burn pits.
Montoya filed his lawsuit last week in state District Court in Santa Fe against Halliburton Co., KBR Inc. and Kellogg, Brown & Root Services LLC. In doing so, he joined almost 250 other former and active military personnel who are suing the companies, which provided water treatment and waste disposal services in Iraq and Afghanistan. Two other soldiers from New Mexico, both in poor health, jointly filed a suit against the companies six years ago. At one point, a federal judge in Maryland rejected suits against the military contractors, but an appeals court reversed that decision. With the case alive, soldiers who are dying say they have a chance to shed light on wartime actions that placed profits over people.
Burn pits were part of the American war effort as a means of keeping bases functional. Afire constantly, they burned plastics, metals, chemicals and every form of waste, say soldiers who served at the outposts. Contaminated jet fuel often ignited the burn pits.
Read more:
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/07/27/ailing-vets-sue-say-toxic-burn-pits-cost-them-their-health.html
Iraq
Afghanistan
Health
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 11
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Suspended Profile
Wow - SGT Christina Wilder this sounds like a case that needs to be referred to Sen Patty Murray and Sen Maria Cantwell, and Rep. Adam Smith, for a major congressional inquiry...
Suspended Profile
SGT Jay Ehrenfeld I'm sorry you feel that way. Congressional inquiries are not always 100% effective, but Murray and Cantwell are pretty assertive when it comes to veteran's issues. It's a better location than many, being in Washington State...
SGT Jay Ehrenfeld
Rabbi,
If these yahoo take fifth they know they will not be fired and they got away with violate the laws because most of them are not in the military in the first place then turned around and denied us the benefits we earned. they will cited the laws while they are breaking the law themselves. my case the two VA employee (females) they broke the law but yet nothing will happen to them they get their money turned denied a veteran theirs.
if they invoke the fifth in front of congress then they should be remove from their position. because they are not taken responsibly for their action.
If these yahoo take fifth they know they will not be fired and they got away with violate the laws because most of them are not in the military in the first place then turned around and denied us the benefits we earned. they will cited the laws while they are breaking the law themselves. my case the two VA employee (females) they broke the law but yet nothing will happen to them they get their money turned denied a veteran theirs.
if they invoke the fifth in front of congress then they should be remove from their position. because they are not taken responsibly for their action.
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Suspended Profile
Jay, if you're having issues with VA benefits, I urge you to go to a competent Veteran Service Organization where you live for help. Because you are pre-9/11, WWP won't help you, but the DAV is extremely good at what they do. I was a service officer for about 4 years, and I know how to navigate the claims issues. Contact me offline, if you need help...
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SGT Christina Wilder what gets me about all of this is that some genius somewhere thought burning waste with diesel anywhere near (like within the same country) where soldiers are living is a good idea. It ranks right up there with using a bloody tuna as a shark repellent. The worst part is that service members are going to first suffer, then die for the lack of foresight. As for help from the VA, they are trying to solve their waiting list problem by letting people die waiting for care. Don't think that they are for one minute going to show any remorse for causing a vet to deteriorate.
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SGT Christina Wilder
I agree with you fully. Right now I am attempting to pull or veteran brothers and sisters together to help this specific vet. Concurrently I am composing a framework to publicize the problem to increase the breadth and depth of discovering a solution. We need to stick together as a military family and draw from everyone's expertise.
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