Reflecting on burn pits after the passage of the PACT Act

FOR THE VETERAN OF THE VETERAN SHARE OF THE DAY

"BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT IN HAITI, IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN"

Reflecting on burn pits after the passage of the PACT Act
By Sonner Kehrt, The War Horse
Aug 11, 01:57 PM
FILE - A Marine disposes of trash at the burn pit in Forward Operating Base Zeebrudge, Helmand province, Afghanistan, March 6, 2013. (Sgt. Anthony L. Ortiz/Marine Corps)

This article first appeared on The War Horse, an award-winning nonprofit news organization educating the public on military service. Subscribe to its newsletter.

Last week, the U.S. Senate passed the PACT Act, which expands healthcare and benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxins during their military service. Notably, the measure extends presumptive status for multiple medical conditions to veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, where open-air burn pits were common. For years, the military burned everything from discarded chemicals to unexploded ordnance to medical waste in pits not far from soldiers’ sleeping and eating areas. War Horse managing editor Kelly Kennedy was the first reporter to cover burn pits and the resulting illnesses in service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

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