Will Burn Pits be our generations Agent Orange?

SFC Andrew Dowell — Tue, 10 May 2016 20:03:50 -0400

Response by Kim Bolen RN CCM ACM made May 10 at 2016 8:23 PM

Kim Bolen RN CCM ACM — Tue, 10 May 2016 20:23:52 -0400

Yes, among other illnesses.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 10 at 2016 8:26 PM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 May 2016 20:26:21 -0400

SFC Andrew Dowell I can not speak for all Vietnam Veterans, but It is a long hard struggle with the VA. Burn Pits could be the same kind of struggle.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/04/09/thousands-iraq-afghan-war-vets-sickened-after-working-at-burn-pits.html

Thousands of Iraq, Afghan war vets sickened after working at 'burn pits' | Fox News

Thousands of U.S. military personnel who served on bases in Iraq and Afghanistan recall the dense black smoke from burn pits where everything from IEDs to human waste was incinerated.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made May 10 at 2016 8:47 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Tue, 10 May 2016 20:47:09 -0400

Most Definitely and probably worse records about what the hell was actually burned and it's Biological Effects. Temp that stuff is burned can change it's chemical properties too.

Response by CPL Ricky Vasquez made May 10 at 2016 9:41 PM

CPL Ricky Vasquez — Tue, 10 May 2016 21:41:40 -0400

Yes.

Response by SFC Rollie Hubbard made May 10 at 2016 10:38 PM

SFC Rollie Hubbard — Tue, 10 May 2016 22:38:01 -0400

Sounds like it will be your Agent Orange feel sorry for the ones that get it.

Response by SGT Michael Thorin made May 10 at 2016 11:27 PM

SGT Michael Thorin — Tue, 10 May 2016 23:27:04 -0400

The VA has already taken a very proactive stance on "Gulf War Syndrome." Many OIF and OEF vets do not realize that the illnesses related, such as mine (decreasing respiratory function, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, nausea, GI issues, etc), are considered presumptive illnesses, and the only thing you need to prove service connection is service in The Middle East and that your illnesses have lasted longer than 6 months, and did not exist prior to your first deployment, the key being that they are chronic.

No military paperwork other than a DD214. Your private doctors medical records will suffice for proof.

However, this is not widely known and the VA has made very little effort to promote it. There is also a Gulf War Registry health exam which will help determine potential related conditions.

At the Birmingham VA, oddly enough, the Gulf War Illness check in is also the Agent Orange Clinic check in.

If anyone would like any additional information, please do not hesitate to shoot me a line. I had to do all of the research to find these programs. Many times, VA employees who are Gulf War vets do not even know about this information.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 11 at 2016 1:55 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 11 May 2016 01:55:57 -0400

Aren't they?

Response by SGT Frank Leonardo made May 11 at 2016 3:30 AM

SGT Frank Leonardo — Wed, 11 May 2016 03:30:41 -0400

Yes it will

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made May 11 at 2016 6:27 AM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Wed, 11 May 2016 06:27:58 -0400

More than likely, do we really know what was put in the pits to be disposed of?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 11 at 2016 9:42 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 11 May 2016 09:42:05 -0400

Yes only no one has recognized them. Some can be worse than AO.

Response by SFC Alfredo Garcia made May 11 at 2016 9:53 AM

SFC Alfredo Garcia — Wed, 11 May 2016 09:53:47 -0400

I believe it may be. Hard to tell. I think government agencies have done a much better job on dealing with burn pits than with Agent Orange. I say that to their benefit NOT ours. They are careful on what to say and admit in reference to burn pits both, one-on-one and publicly. This helps keep the limelight/media off target (for now).

My experience is horrendous but could have been so much worse...maybe I am not out of the woods yet. Who knows? Let me hope that I don't have any additional residual effects. First the good. I have received documents confirming exposure to dioxin and phosgene due to me guarding the wonderful hell-fires. This is a rarity as you can imagine.

The recipe of exposure, sweat, pressure (helmet webbing), and other factors has made my scalp prone to painful lesions. They puss out, bleed, leave bald spots and are simply grotesque. They were so painful I had to get a profile to not wear ANY headgear once redeployed back home and to help heal. Trying running around in uniform without your beret. I had to laminate my profile due excessive and repeated 'on-spot' corrections. But that is another story best for later.

How is that good? Simple, the Army, then the VA, tried everything possible to fix my issue. They tried various forms of antibiotics, NSAIDs, and other remedies, Accutane was no help and finally Humira had saved my life. No, I was not suicidal but I hated my life as it was but never gave up hope. They finally found something that can at least control it. I am not bleeding all over my pillows (as much), I can walk in public with scaring kids, the pain is greatly diminished, I feel better about myself and the most important part...I can breathe. My symptoms were mostly unique (as were others). I had for a short time coughed up this black 'crud' and it was not fun but once out of the environment it went away. Some of my counterparts were inflicted with this crud and theirs got WORSE. They could do nothing. One Soldier had to be sent back home for further evaluation. Mine started to improve after a day or two away from the pits and its entirety, as far as outward symptoms go, in about a month after last exposure.

So in short, it has been a mixed bag. As I get older, I do believe I may be a bit more prone to cancers or other ailments due to my exposure but I fear that the VA has already been 'programmed' to 'link' it to something other than what I have been exposed to. In fact, other than the two specific exposures previously disclosed they refuse to link my scalp issues to the pits. Let us all relook at this query in 10 or 20 years. It will be Agent Burn-Pit scandal or "Don't know anything about burning pits."

Response by CPT Joseph K Murdock made May 11 at 2016 11:53 AM

CPT Joseph K Murdock — Wed, 11 May 2016 11:53:11 -0400

I remember being on shit burning detail. I have high cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure, and glaucoma. I don't know if they are connected or not.

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made May 12 at 2016 10:48 AM

Cpl Justin Goolsby — Thu, 12 May 2016 10:48:39 -0400

I'm sure it will. After all the VA is asking service members if they've ever worked the burn pits on your disability interview when they go over your medical records for service connected injuries. So I'm sure they already know some of the affects and they're going to start keeping track of them for the long standing effects.