Burn Pits: The Military's Chemical Exposure Scandal

Burn Pits

Senators reach deal to advance sweeping military toxic exposure legislation

The measure could be passed out of the chamber in the next few weeks and become law later this summer.

4 days ago

Burn Pits

Nine respiratory cancers added to list of illnesses presumed caused by burn pit smoke

The move follows promises by the administration to increase the number of burn pit illnesses eligible for benefits.

4 weeks ago

Veterans

Senate leaders promise vote on expanding benefits for burn pit victims

The sweeping bill has been stalled in the Senate over concerns related to cost and potential workload burdens on Veterans Affairs workers.

An airman tosses unserviceable uniform items into the Joint Base Balad, Iraq, burn pit in this March 2008 file photo from the U.S. Air Force.

Burn Pits

What are military burn pits? And why are veterans worried about them?

The fires used in combat zones to dispose of waste may have caused serious illnesses in hundreds of thousands of U.S. service members.

8 weeks ago

Burn Pits

Biden calls caring for burn pit illnesses a ‘sacred obligation’

In a speech to veterans in Texas, the president continued his push to improve benefits and care for those who served alongside burning waste pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.

2 months ago

Pentagon not doing enough to control open burning, report says

The Radford Army Ammunition Plant emits nearly three million pounds of pollutants each year

3 months ago

Burn Pits

Burn pit injuries will be focus of Biden’s trip to Texas this week

The move follows comments from the president in his State of the Union address asking Congress to do more to help those veterans.

3 months ago

Plan to give new benefits to burn pits victims passes House, faces difficult path ahead

The move comes just days after President Joe Biden urged Congress to provide more help for veterans suffering from the toxic smoke.

3 months ago

Biden vows VA will do better on veterans’ burn pit illnesses

The president used his State of the Union address to promise more benefits and help for military toxic exposure victims.

3 months ago

Burn pit benefits, veterans care to be major themes of Biden’s State of the Union speech

The president will also discuss financial help and mental health resources for veterans during his address to Congress.

3 months ago

Sweeping burn pit benefits bill set for House vote next week

The measure could provide new veterans benefits to as many as one in every five living veterans.

3 months ago

Paying the cost of war through bipartisan action, not words

The use of toxic chemicals in war zones and combat operations dates back more than a century ago.

3 months ago

New burn pit bill promises immediate help for vets, but some call ‘BS’

The new Senate proposal is at odds with a more ambitious House plan to address toxic exposure injuries.

4 months ago

Everyone wants to help military toxic exposure victims. Not all want to pay.

Lawmakers support the idea but face problems paying for the nearly $300 billion plan.

4 months ago

New in 2022: When will all burn pit victims finally get veterans benefits?

Advocates saw progress on their efforts in 2021, but hope for even more in 2022.

5 months ago

Supreme Court rejects appeal from veterans in burn pit lawsuit against KBR, Halliburton

The ruling means that private companies involved in burn pit operations will likely not face punishment for their role.

3 years ago

As burn pit problems linger, advocates worry VA and DoD are moving too slow

Despite years of reports of rare illnesses from toxic exposure, advocates say the departments aren't doing enough.

4 years ago

From the Archives

New burn pit report: Lung disease, high blood pressure common in exposed vets

Troops who worked at burn pits or were exposed to multiple dust storms in war zones have higher rates of respiratory illnesses and two rare, often fatal, lung diseases.

7 years ago

From the Archives

DoD concedes rise in burn-pit ailments

The Pentagon has acknowledged that although Joint Base Balad’s burn pit closed last fall, “There is still lots of burn-pit exposure throughout theater.”

12 years ago

From the Archives

Balad’s ill wind

Burn pits operate on U.S. bases throughout Iraq and Afghanistan, and troops have reported respiratory and heart problems, cancers and neurological diseases.

12 years ago

From the Archives

Army doctors link soldier’s lung disease to Iraq burn pits

Since Military Times began reporting about burn pits, 400 troops have contacted Disabled American Veterans to say they have breathing problems or cancers.

13 years ago

From the Archives

Burn pits have ailing troops seeing red

Army 1st Sgt. Lynette Streitfield was at Balad, the largest U.S. base in Iraq, for three weeks before she had her first-ever asthma attack.

13 years ago

From the Archives

Troops: Burn-pit smoke caused health problems

More than 100 service members have written to Military Times saying they have health problems stemming from exposure to burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.

13 years ago

From the Archives

Harmless or hazardous? Troops say chemicals and medical waste burned at Balad are making them sick, but officials deny risk

An open-air burn pit at the largest U.S. base in Iraq may have exposed thousands of troops to harmful poisons, documents gathered by Military Times shows.

14 years ago

No more stories

Burn Pits

As Washington refocuses on the issue of burn pits—waste fires used extensively in Afghanistan and Iraq which emitted toxic smoke that later sickened troops—Military Times is republishing our early stories to help show what work still needs to be done.

The measure could be passed out of the chamber in the next few weeks and become law later this summer.

The move follows promises by the administration to increase the number of burn pit illnesses eligible for benefits.

The sweeping bill has been stalled in the Senate over concerns related to cost and potential workload burdens on Veterans Affairs workers.

The fires used in combat zones to dispose of waste may have caused serious illnesses in hundreds of thousands of U.S. service members.

In a speech to veterans in Texas, the president continued his push to improve benefits and care for those who served alongside burning waste pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Radford Army Ammunition Plant emits nearly three million pounds of pollutants each year

The move follows comments from the president in his State of the Union address asking Congress to do more to help those veterans.

The move comes just days after President Joe Biden urged Congress to provide more help for veterans suffering from the toxic smoke.

The president used his State of the Union address to promise more benefits and help for military toxic exposure victims.

The president will also discuss financial help and mental health resources for veterans during his address to Congress.

The measure could provide new veterans benefits to as many as one in every five living veterans.

The use of toxic chemicals in war zones and combat operations dates back more than a century ago.

The new Senate proposal is at odds with a more ambitious House plan to address toxic exposure injuries.

Lawmakers support the idea but face problems paying for the nearly $300 billion plan.

Advocates saw progress on their efforts in 2021, but hope for even more in 2022.

The ruling means that private companies involved in burn pit operations will likely not face punishment for their role.

Despite years of reports of rare illnesses from toxic exposure, advocates say the departments aren't doing enough.

Troops who worked at burn pits or were exposed to multiple dust storms in war zones have higher rates of respiratory illnesses and two rare, often fatal, lung diseases.

The Pentagon has acknowledged that although Joint Base Balad’s burn pit closed last fall, “There is still lots of burn-pit exposure throughout theater.”

Burn pits operate on U.S. bases throughout Iraq and Afghanistan, and troops have reported respiratory and heart problems, cancers and neurological diseases.

Since Military Times began reporting about burn pits, 400 troops have contacted Disabled American Veterans to say they have breathing problems or cancers.

Army 1st Sgt. Lynette Streitfield was at Balad, the largest U.S. base in Iraq, for three weeks before she had her first-ever asthma attack.

More than 100 service members have written to Military Times saying they have health problems stemming from exposure to burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.

An open-air burn pit at the largest U.S. base in Iraq may have exposed thousands of troops to harmful poisons, documents gathered by Military Times shows.