Posted on Jun 2, 2017
Were you exposed to burn pits during your deployment? If so, how do you think they impacted your health?
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Besides the obvious of documenting everything related to it, what advice can you give to others who may be in a similar situation?
Posted in these groups: 
Deployment
Burn Pits
PatientsLikeMe
Health
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Deployment Burn Pits PatientsLikeMe Health Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 10
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Since I got back in 2004 I have had a constant cough. Civilian docs can't find the cause. I filed a claim with the VA, they came back and said, "Not Service Related". So I still deal with it daily.
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SGT Stacy Moody
SGM, file an appeal, asap. Don't take a one time no for an answer. Get yourself on the burn pit registry as well. See your VSO, have them file an appeal to your claim for burn pits. Coughing is a breathing issue, and nobody can deny us Burn pits from Desert storm, and thereafter as wel all had to burn literally everything....Please do that for yourself SGM, appeal it. Any questions give me a call at my desk mon-Fri, [login to see]
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Yes, and yes. Burned, and cleaned burn pits for ordnance disposal as well as excess gear that had to be destroyed before folks left the AOR. No way to know what caused what, but I have lung/breathing issues now.
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TSgt David L.
SGT Stacy Moody - Thanks. I filed out the VA burn pit survey in 2015. I guess I need to ask for an appointment since they don't seem to acknowledge it.
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SGT Stacy Moody
Call me if you need sone help there. Ill find who you need to contact near you. [login to see]
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TSgt David L.
SGT Stacy Moody - I'm at school so it will be a while before I can take time to get an appointment. Thank for your offer to help though. When the time comes I'll keep it in mind.
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I was exposed to the Oil Well Fires as Day was night many times and all you did was breath in Burning oil. We even went and helped the civilian Oil Fire guys putting the fires out. I think I have all kinds of problems.
Photo is one of the oil fires.
Invasion 2003 that is all we had, we didn't have the big FOB's we were pepping sites for them to be built. We moved all the time as we maneuvered with I MEF moving into Iraq and every where we moved we dug Burn pits and they were burning everything even the Batteries.
2005-2006 on a Special HA/CA det to Pakistan we had our own burn pit, same thing burnt every thing even fuel.
2010-2011 was in Baghdad Camp Victory base VBC and they had a big burn pit and incinerator, our camp was about 1/2 mile down the road from that site.
Photo is one of the oil fires.
Invasion 2003 that is all we had, we didn't have the big FOB's we were pepping sites for them to be built. We moved all the time as we maneuvered with I MEF moving into Iraq and every where we moved we dug Burn pits and they were burning everything even the Batteries.
2005-2006 on a Special HA/CA det to Pakistan we had our own burn pit, same thing burnt every thing even fuel.
2010-2011 was in Baghdad Camp Victory base VBC and they had a big burn pit and incinerator, our camp was about 1/2 mile down the road from that site.
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LTC (Join to see)
Oh yeah, I forgot all the oil well fires we drove through....made day look like night.
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In Saudi, during Desert Storm, we burned anything and everything. As a young joe I ended up burning shit every couple of days...nothing like the smell of a honey pot cooking. In Iraq, 05-06 and then again in 08-09, I was in close proximity to burn pits in Baghdad and Mosul. As of now there is no Gulf War Syndrome or what I consider any associated issues from burning. Now, that is not to say some people are not suffering or experiencing problems, but I really don't think it is as widespread as some people would believe.
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SGT Stacy Moody
Sir, Burn Pit Registry is huge now, any VA Hospital will get you on it, then file claims for it....Middle East Combat Veterans had that pushed down for too long, and trust me its real, we all know it, and now its not being denied, its out there, promise :)
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If you were exposed, make sure you register in the VA's Burn Pit Registry. They will give you an examination and is a way to document any issues. It will also help out down the road when we get worse. I think the long term effects of OIF and OEF are not felt yet but will years from now when people like me who were never shot or blown up have respiratory issues.
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AFN Commercial Submission
hmmm... smoke from a fire caused by burning feces and JP-8... nah... and yes I was exposed, that is a smell that stays with you!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp6PBpzSlMM&list=PLPgeN1Je6BZZEeEhIThYDKt0xUdgLVRcn&index=5
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I was exposed to one in Afghanistan and the fumes would pass over the flight line and as of now I don't feel it has affected me.
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COL Jon Thompson
I believe the long term cost of OIF/OEF will be how all the crap we breathed affects our health down the road. The reason for the registry is for those potential long term costs. Hopefully for many of us, there will not be any adverse effects.
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I was, many times... and it can't be good... Kinda like Gulf War illness and agent orange... SN Vivien Roman-Hampton
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It was like just a thing that had to be done and everyone, E1 thru E3 and sometime E4, got lucky. Not the burning so much, it was moving the barrel and then burying the remainder contents. I guess it was just more gross than even consideration of contamination. It seems like back in the 1960's Army contamination was not such a big deal. Long term affects? None that I know of. I did contract Hep C somewhere along the line.
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