VeTALKX: Karshi-Khanabad (K-2) Military Exposures Q&A and 2nd Community Forum

^^This. The VA needs to stop trying to "sugarcoat" the Uranium issue.

To date there has been no credible evidence of enriched uranium at K2. DoD is the authoritative source for determining what contaminants were located at military installations. Depleted uranium was documented at K2. The health outcomes evaluated in the K2 Surveillance Program (K2SP) include conditions and cancers that may be linked to radiation exposure such as blood cancers (luekemias and lyphomas) and multiple myeloma. Small numbers of these cancers were documented in the K2 cohort but the number of these cancers are not greater than the OEF deployed and non-deployed comparison groups. Enriched uranium is particularly toxic and with sufficient exposure one would expect to see increased rates of blood cancers (luekemias and lyphomas) and/or multiple myeloma within 17-20 year followup period for which we have data. The K2SP will repeat these analyses at regular intervals over the next 10+ years and keep the K2 community informed of any new findings.

We have evaluated this issue and see no difference in the rates of disease or cancers between K2 Veterans that deployed early during the K2 occupation compared to those that deployed later. The K2SP will repeat these analyses at regular intervals over the next 10+ years and keep the K2 community informed of any new findings.

The majority of these conditions are included in the outcomes currently being assessed as part of K2 Surveillance Program. The outcomes to be analyzed were those that have been identified in previous research, may be related to the types of exposures documented at K2, and/or were reasons for submitting a claim with VBA. Thank you for your service. If you are not already enrolled for VA health care, we encourage you to do so. VA also encourages Veterans who believe their military service has negatively impacted their health to submit a claim to VBA.

Did you know Permethrin is highly associated with MM? Benzene slightly less so. I know they were inhaling high benzene levels at K-2, but if they were in the sandbox for any length of time, they were very likely using Permethrin the whole time there. And EDCs in general screw with immune function so it could have made them more susceptible. I know of one who passed (SF before he retired and married, I believe) who spent a lot of time there. Were the rest out there for a long while by any chance? Did any of them mess with asbestos or clear the gazebo at K-2? It was full of asbestos and *someone* had to cleaned it up. Some of those other buildings were full of asbestos. Is there any common denominator between all of them? Did they work in the same building or do something similar? That *is* a pretty high stat for MM...

I agree that it is way too high. I am not sure of all their deployments but 2 had done South America stints where we know there were lots of herbicides. They won't admit herbicides at K2 yet. 3 have died that I know about. I can ask the reminders.
Thanks and yes it all adds up - Rich's oncologist said that all it takes is one mutant cell.

Cancers of the lympatic and hemopaetic system are included in the outcomes currently being assessed as part of the K2 Surveillance Program. The outcomes to be analyzed were those that have been identified in previous research, may be related to the types of exposures documented at K2, and/or were reasons for submitting a claim with VBA. The analyses currently underway will allow a rigorous assessment for those illnesses that exhibit a higher risk in the K2 population. We will have more to say once the analyses have been completed and been through peer review.

Hi Daniel. The DoD declassified K-2 Health Risk Assessments (HRAs) a few years ago (see my questions comment). Someone with SFF simply went through some toxin tables in the HRAs and started counting analytes without knowing how to interpret the results they were looking at. This is how they came up with the 392 number.

You are indeed correct about the synergism. K-2 veterans were exposed to a very high level of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals which definitely have synergistic effects.

You are correct that exposure to multiple contaminants can have synergistic effects. The exposure assessments conducted at K2 were based on area sampling of air, water, soil, and soil gases, and we have no way to determine to which or how many contaminants an individual may have been exposed. To try an offset this dilemma, we defined two comparison groups (deployed but not to K2 and not deployed within SW Asia) in the K2 Surveillance Program with differing levels of exposure so that we could compare disease risk in K2 to these comparison groups. Ideally, exposure assessments at the individual level would have been preferable, but the technology to achieve this in the battlefield was not available in 2001-2005 and is a primary area of research and development by DoD and VA. Defense Center for Public Health-Aberdeen's website provides several documents related to the conditions at K2. Additionally, all of the declassified K2 reports can be found at the bottom of this page under the section titled "Where can I find more information" [https://phc.amedd.army.mil/topics/envirohealth/hrasm/Pages/K2-Airbase-Exposures.aspx]. The VA's K2 website provides information on the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's re-evaluation of the samples collected during the K2 occupation using using currentscreening thresholds for health [https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/karshi-khanabad.asp]. Thank you for your service. If you are not already enrolled for VA health care, we encourage you to do so. VA also encourages Veterans who believe their military service has negatively impacted their health to submit a claim to VBA.

Autoimmune disorders are included in the outcomes being assessed in the K2 Surveillance Program.

I don't know, but insomnia, painful and uncontrollable muscle spasms throughout my entire body and widespread nerve damage are my most debilitating symptoms. I'm sure the fact that we all suffer similar symptoms isn't a coincidence.

At this time there are no known links. Insomnia can be multi-factorial and should be addressed with your Primary Care Provider.

Yes, the 15,035 include guard and reserve personnel.

All K2 Veterans that served between 2001 and 2005 are included in the K2 Surveillance Program and the analysis of health outcomes and causers of death. Additionally, all personnel that deployed to K2 are eligible for the PACT Act covered presumptions.

Matt, do you remember 10th Mountain wearing some type of dosimeter badges? Look at the FB group.

Matt, This is from Ryan Jacobsen on the K2 FB page.
Col Badzik just said they didn't have evidence of what the individual exposure was. In 2001-02 they had all of 4/31 of the 10th MTN wearing radiac meters. I wonder where those recordings went to? They were tested daily or every other day.

DoD is the authoritative source on contaminants identified at military installations, bases, and sites. Any data or information about contaminants at the K2 site should be shared and discussed with DoD.