VA today announced the launch of the redesigned Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry (“the Burn Pit Registry” or “the registry”). The Burn Pit Registry is a database that combines Veteran and service member data to help VA better understand, research, and ultimately improve treatment for the health challenges faced by Veterans exposed to airborne hazards and burn pits during their military service.
It’s important to note that participating in the registry does not have an impact on your VA health care or benefits, but it does help VA better understand the challenges that the Veteran population faces as a whole. The following frequently asked questions (FAQs) will help you better understand these changes, how they may impact you and your ultimate role in the registry.
What is the purpose of the registry?
The Burn Pit Registry is a tool that helps VA identify and research health challenges of Veterans and service members who were exposed to airborne hazards and burn pits during their military service.
Over time, the knowledge gained through this research will be used to fuel advancements in treatments, inform policies related to establishing presumptive conditions, ensure more precise predictive medicine, and deliver targeted proactive and preventative care.
Why did VA redesign the registry?
In response to extensive feedback from Veterans and service members, VA’s changes to the registry help greatly reduce the burden of participation. Expansion of eligibility criteria and automatic enrollment based on DOD records means approximately 4.7 million Veterans and service members will now be included, with simple opt-out procedures for those who wish to not participate.
How do I know if I’m included in the registry?
If you enrolled in the registry any time before the launch of the redesign, you will be automatically rolled into the new registry. If you deployed to an eligible theater of operation or location for specific time periods, you will be automatically included into the registry. This includes deceased Veterans or service members who meet the eligibility criteria.
You can review the eligibility criteria on the Burn Pit Registry webpage. If you want to confirm whether or not you’ve been included in the registry, you can contact your local Environmental Health Coordinator.
Why should I participate in the registry?
While participation in the registry does not impact your individual care or benefits, it does contribute to a critical research tool that enables VA to identify and study health challenges spanning the whole Veteran and service member population. It is a way for Veterans and service members of this generation to help improve the care and benefits of those in generations to come.
Will my decision to be a participant in or opt-out of the registry have any impact on my VA health care or benefits?
No. Whether you choose to be a participant in or to opt out of the registry will have no impact on your individual health care or benefits. Inclusion in the registry does not equate to enrollment in health care nor to applying for benefits.
If I would rather not participate, how do I opt out?
While we encourage eligible Veterans to participate, if you would prefer not to, opting out is simple. Visit the Burn Pit Registry webpage to submit an opt out form. There are no consequences of opting out and you can opt out at any time.
What specific DOD and VA data will the registry include?
The registry will include deployment locations, military personnel information and demographics, to include gender, race and ethnicity. No medical information will be stored in the registry.
Who will be able to access data from the registry and how will it be used?
Veteran and service member data will be accessible to select VA epidemiologists, researchers and institutional review board-approved researchers. Registry data will be used to conduct medical and public health research over time. Findings from these studies will inform health care and policy, including that related to presumptive conditions.
Have additional questions? Check out the Burn Pit Registry’s webpage or contact your local Environmental Health Coordinator.
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I received a 10% claim without any increase. My Va Pulmonary health care doctors at HUNTER HOLMES McGuire said that I have ASTHMA that came from the Burn Pits and Refinery burn off in Kuwait in 2003. the Va Broad stated it is not severe and does not rate any money. I am taking three different meds for the asthma I do not understand their reasoning.
Update on the tumor:
I got to see the surgeon on August 14th at 9am. Dr. O had found a CT scan from 2018
that had the tumor in it. So he showed them side by side. It was about the same
size back then. About 4cm and similar shape. This was a slow growing Lipoma
rather than some more aggressive cousin.
As Im heading home Im telling others about it. Each point out my doctor missed this
in my records for 6 years. That sunk home. Because it also meant the Gulf war registry,
the WRIISC exam, the burn pit registry, the Toxic exposure exam, and the PACT act
claim exam all missed it to. I had been writing Sec of VA Denis McDonough during
all these events stating how sloppy they were. Not even taking my vital signs during
the Gulf war registry exam.
For now, its not worth the damage to remove it. The location and way its attached to
the lung walls would cost me lung tissue. Only, later it will spread between my ribs
and push them apart like a wedge which will be very painful.
Ive had so many of these soft body masses these last 10 years. Under my foot was a
2 inch tumor they took out. The 1cm polyp in my colon. The tumor on my thumb.
The masses in my liver. Large cyst in my kidneys. The calcium plagues in my brain.
Not to mention the numerous ones Ive burned off myself as well as damn skin tags.
Since I can only get seen 15 minutes ever 6 months and walkins are not allowed –
I cant get in time to have these removed. Changed color, shape, and size on me.
Turned black, angry looking. When I used a soldering gun to remove these skin
tags I went after these skin tumors. You tap them till the nerves die, then lean in
to make sure all blood vessels to it are burnt. hurts like hell.
Ive had these in bad places as well. The one right on the seam of my nethers was
in the worst place of had swollen up from rubbing when I walk. That one took a
hour to do because it was so tender. No, didnt take pictures. What was the point?
No one cared. So its not in my records. I wanted them gone and it was up to me.
As far as VA is concerned these dont exist.
The programs and registries cant find my tumor for 6 years, then what chance
did others have of early detection? 2 inches is big, but this thing is flat and spread
out along the lung plural wall and ribs. Obvious now, under CT scan. The fact
the WRIISC missed it shows what a sham they are. If this had been any other
kind of tumor Ide be long dead now, by 5cm they have spread every where.
Sec of VA Denis McDonough ignored all my pleas. 21 of them. If this had been
any other tumor it would have killed me within that 6 years. How many others
have these soft body masses like I do? Is this a trend among Gulf war vets now?
330,000 have died over 33 years, how many of those might have had other
signs that were ignored in autopsies? How would we know, there are no public
records or reporting systems.
I get that Im on my own, Ide cut this lung tumor out myself if I could reach it.
Even my foot tumor took 2 years to get removed. By the end they were talking
about taking my foot. 2 long years of a mean doctor who was only worried about
me being drug tested which never turned up hot. He was evil, and now he works
at the Waco center of excellence as a researcher. Appalling manners.
None of this is right, and no one cares. I will present this next week to the VA RAC
who will ignore me. They have lost there way. Then again, Ive made recommendations
to the RAC for 22 years that every Sec of VA has ignored just like the committee. The
goal, go terminal and die veteran – we have bonuses to hand out to VA execs. Like
they did the with PACT act funds. They plan to wait me out, the proof is there now.
When ones of these tumors turns and kills me. Make sure its too late to see it.
American news media has been openly hostile to veteran stories
from a veteran stand point. Writers, news directors, news paper
editors, and such have taken the “happy government” approach.
If the story does go out, its very mild with very little detail from
veterans positions. Its no accident. They have been paid to write
what the wealthy sponsors wants. So things like the PACT act do
not address the tens of thousands of zero rating claims or the
hardship that has caused.
I used to get published all the time from 1998 to 2005. 2003 I was
in the world media spot light. Have all the proof here including
TV interviews around the world. Wall street journal, and so on
all the way down the list. Regular on MSNBC. Last big gig was the
Starts and Stripes in 2008. With my own VA committee. Was not
hard to get in the local papers. Scratch your butt and they wrote it.
Since 2020 its been a total shut out. Since 2022 I got my very last
articles and both were wrong, heavily edited. Writer would not
do a retraction. I was right about the PACT act, they didnt care.
No TV station would touch the PACT act unless it was to play it up.
So they kept me at bay and away from Sec of VA Denis McDonough
when he came to Waco to dispute my claims. Very one sided. Media
flat lied to me to keep me away while he was here. Pro government
piecies. KCEN, KWTX, KXXV, KNCT, local papers, and down the list.
Ive been there right in VAs face, and pictures of me with Sec of VA
Denis McDonough September 2023 confronting him. Even presented
a PPT to a VA advisory committee ( RAC ) that was ignored by the same.
Even though it got a standing ovation.
My point is this, media isnt trying to help the poor any more. They view
us as the enemy because we cant float them like the rich do. Stories
are white washed to appease the wealthy. To keep the poor from rallying
to any causes. Keep us in check. Keep apathy at a premium.
Just like in here with these News.va.gov articles. Critics are not welcome.
Think only happy thoughts or you end up in the corn field. The public
comments are treated as if they were wall graffiti rather than legitimate
banter.
Brave new totalitarian world? Sure seems like it. Very one sided, including
those horrid town hall meetings that prescreen who gets to ask questions.
2012 it was at its worst with Eric Shinseki heading out.
This is the closest I can get to articles going out, and its in this insulting public
comments style. Because writers in America are not on the veterans side any
more. At all. Unless its a pre-selected pro government piece. My being a disabled
combat veteran who spent 26 years helping my fellow GWI vets, as well as serving
on a VA federal committee is treated like Im a 3rd world citizen fresh out of
prison. Censorship, full censorship even from writers claiming prior military
service. Sell outs.
Burn Pit Registry is just as personal to me as dozens of other military related
issues I was there at the beginning of in DC. All because I worked in burn pits
in the Gulf War. Means nothing to VA. Ive got pictures, so what. Now Ive got a
2 inch lung tumor. So what. None of that is real news these days. Really?
Where is this going when your stepping on the soldiers that defended you
in a war. Thanking me for my service, and thats where it ends? Sure feels like
it the last 10 years. Wave a American flag one day a year, on holidays. What
I largely get even from my own family is dont talk about the war. VA took this
are really ran with it. Everything is fine as long as its top down. Soldiers
dont matter, that comes across every day.
PL 105-368 failed the Gulf war vets. If VA cared at all it would work with the
vets to update it and better serve us. Unchanged since 1998. Amend, make
current. Nope, cant do that? Why? I might even save the US some money
by cutting down on waste. Nope, got to burn up that money and still remain
status quo.
Let me put this in perspective. Look how Im being ignored on the
News.va.gov website posting pretty mild stuff. Im not cussing, not
pushing political or religious mumbo jumbo. Not insulting a variety
of VA executives directly. Not trying to push weird concepts or programs
that might harm others. Mostly, neither side cares on here because
this isnt a real platform. Only, that just it – there is no platform of any
kind. The closest I have is the VA Research Advisory Committee the last
22 years hopelessly crippled by VA Dogma. Loopholes in the public
laws they plan to keep using. Ignore suggestions at all cost. 100%.
Does not matter what I pitch, its going to be played down or ignored by
committee members, people in the room, VA executives, and current
public apathy. All of which have nothing better on the table. Cancel
culture has taken over. There is no urgency until these folks go terminal.
So far, most can wait each other out.
Ive tried to get a concept out there of voting to help just get ideas on the
table and people to support the ideas. Democracy distilled down to the
smallest possible levels to get past this stalemate. There is no support for
this as people do not want equality for others. Cancel culture is so embedded
now that they just want to oppose anything, everything if its not there idea
being lofted up the flag pole. VA is fine with this. Uservoice was a idea ahead
of its time that VA now opposes for bad reasons. Seeing what it it.
In the mean time, my van died on the highway. Used up funds to get it home.
28 year old beast with 258,000 miles on it. So Im stranded and unable to get
to my surgical consult. VA knows I have a tumor. Its not reaching out to me.
There is no urgency to them or any clinical programs. My current doctor does
not want me back till December. Ive burned bridges up and down the ladder
trying to get help. Cant even get to the ER 45 miles away. Not even family
cares if I make it. Its all on me to survive all this – alone.
People will read this here and chuckle to themselves. Get to watch someones
life implode. Amusing. Because its only spectators here. There is no compassion
for each other. Every person is on there own more than they know. The programs
out there do not seek you out when things like this happen. Other than send in
Suicide crisis people as a mock effort, as these people are powerless. Im not
suicidal at all. Im a problem solver no matter how bad.
I cant make people civic. Cant seem to reason with them any more like a few
years ago. Only showing you what awaits you for not getting on board. That
there is no network. When it gets bad, really bad, no one is going to back you
up. Up to you to save yourself in this backwards dynamic. This is how homeless
people are treated every day – assumptions and indifference. Too much work
to help them. Throw a morsel, and walk away.
The saddest part in all this is I am being civic, and thinking of the bigger picture
while I struggle. Saying out loud what is happening. Not expecting anything at
all because I know better. People just dont care till they live it. Which means you
kind of forced this on yourselves. Made yourselves insignificant.
This registry has no genuine outlet. Its meant to be kept internal and monitor the
vets silently. There really is no external system the vets can view. No way to truly
base decisions on past events. Your relying on VA being empathetic given its
part due to apathy. VA is forced to care by public laws the people create. When
the system fails them. Its fore runner the Gulf War Registry is a dead entity that
VA is happy to ignore. I would know, I was on a federal committee stating this
that VA totally blew off.
When you devalue one person, you devalue all. Which is why its so easy to watch
me here spinning in the wind. None of this has real meaning. My struggle is your
struggle soon. You didnt invest in the future, and it wont be there for you. Each
of you will be just a stranded as I am. Only, Ive been fighting like this 26 years and
I dont know how to give up. You could have changed that when this comes your
way. It didnt have to be this way. People want inequality, as VA does, If they didnt
then it would not be like this. Cancel culture is not the answer.
There are two classes of people reading these articles on
the News.va.gov website. VA executive staff that are mildly
curious, and people who just observe without getting involved
for real. This wasnt the case 20 years ago.
There is no mobilization, or civic capacity with these. The VA
execs are dictating from above, and do not wish to display any
form of one on one involvement. That would only encourage
others to get more involved. So the messages are vague referring
to events and groups rather than singular questions needing a real
answer. The veterans and such reading the article voice frustration
in the public comments, but little else. Since they dont unite to
speak up in protest – VA takes this as compliance. Knowing its now
too expensive to come to DC like 20 years ago.
Ive tried so hard to push voting formats to committees like the Uservoice
program to allow veterans to pitch ideas, and vote on them. The closest
we will get to civic action. VA refuses. It prefers the one sided dictation
it does now – telling us all is well. Ignore us if we appear singular. As
individuals are no threat to them.
The Burn Pit Registry needs a real program tied to it. A Toxic Exposure
Pathology Center that can extract physical tissue samples to verify certain
forever compounds. A process VA considers invasive even by the WRIISC.
This is the one thing that would prove physical damage to the body that
isnt self reported verbal anecdote. Even help win a VA claim with true
substantive evidence.
26 years of doing this, and talking directly to DOD and VA folks most of it.
They in turn have gone to great lengths to make deployments generic and
run off grass roots, individuals. Insure people burn out, and walk away.
The bulk of the Burn Pit Registry has been like that and Im sure still is. The
big thing is to ignore and avoid individuals, pretend all is well. Like here.
The person that contacted the Suicide prevention helpline was not
trying to help me. Im no where near that, and these people picked up
on that? If anything, they saw Im being wronged here. As someone
was hoping on a health and welfare visit that goes wrong, forced
eval, and label me. Its not 1995, doesnt work that way any more.
I won those people over and made a lasting impression. That I have a better
grasp of life than most people ever will. My expectations are reasonable
if low.
Like Ive said before, I dont know the growth rate of this tumor. All we know
is that as of last Friday its there. Bigger than life. So I told the doctor we should
do a CT scan 2 weeks from now to verify growth rate. Should be static, if its
not then Im in trouble. Only then could we relax for sure. Till a biopsy is done.
See, this is what Im up against. If its urgent, lets label the vet and make them
less urgent. Psychiatry is VA’s safe fall back. All vets are somatic. That tumor isnt
real, and if it is you wished it on yourself. Really?
I want a time line I can survive. Sorry if that is asking too much.
This is what most vets can expect, dirty pool. Because this happened to me today,
August 2nd 2024. Attempted railroad job. Anything but real help.
Im stuck here in VISN 17, and its not going well. Im on hold for others. Making
enemies, being vilified, so they can justify there behavior. Because whatever
is wrong here is strictly all my fault, and its time to judge. At my expense.
Something wrong here alright, and man am I in the wrong spot at the wrong
time. Because this is still ahead of me with lots of mean folks making it worse.
Im talking about clinical care, can you imagine who they will handle the registry
if clinical care is like this? At least in VISN 17.
I have filled though the local VA notice of sickness due to burn pits while stationed in Kandahar Afghanistan. I do need to know if anything has been awarded on my claim.
When will DOD civilians – who were also exposed to burn pits while deployed – be allowed to join the registry?
And there were a lot of civilians supporting the 1st Gulf War.
I haven’t gone to look at the new info yet, but Burn Pits didn’t start in SWA. We’d been burning stuff on German firing ranges and in/near some motor pools well before I got there in 1975.
What Gulf war vets need are a specialty clinic to deal with unique
medical problems conventional medicine doesnt care about. The
premise to PL 105-368 was a unique Gulf war specialty clinic. What
we got was the WRIISC. Which is generic war research, and you cant
even walk into one any more. Throw away exam done at your own
VAMC that they monitor.
Ive fought hard for a specialty clinic for 26 years with VA. Served on
my own VA federal advisory committee in 2008. Pitch and pitch this
at VA RAC meetings for 22 years. Only to find every secretary of VA
that 22 years ignore that RAC and me. Every recommendation. There
is a personal bias in the executive branch that got ugly with Sec of VA
Denis McDonough. He turned it into open contempt.
We dont need these registries, we need specialty clinics that stay with
us when the general practice VA doctors throw up there hands. We
also need a Toxic Exposure Pathology Center to do more, like take
tissue samples and break them down like you do in a autopsy. Full
Gas Chromatograph and Mass Spectrometery . Instead of these 15
minute exams every 6 months.
Burn Pit registry is a verbal exam, 10 minute visual exam, X-Ray, and
Pulmonary Function test at best. X-rays missed my tumor. The registry
is designed to fail and did so for 8 years. Just with the entrance questions
to keep vets at bay. They wont find squat on purpose. Did not change this.
VA can do better, but it starts with positive executive action. Sec of VA
can pencil whip anything into existence. Thats how I got my committee.
They dont want to, like Denis McDonough I fought since 2022. As far as
Im concerned, it was his handy work that made my tumor possible. Blowing
me off time after time to changes that could have sped up detection.
This is a great add; however, some folks don’t have all their deployments on their DD-214. Because of this, I had to provide orders that I happened to have a copy of in addition to the flight manivest saying that my unit deployed to SA in late 1994. I reached out to a few peers over the years and found this was the case for their DD-214s too. I shared what I had if their name/last four were on the documents. Now a few of them have filed claims as well. So what happens to those who don’t have orders/manifests/etc. The VA isn’t adding the orders from my case to the roles and how many more Veterans have old orders anyway? We served before records were kept in large databases and with St. Louis having fire damage to all of our p[hysical records, there is no proof now… What about those Veterans?
I’ve been around this registry long before it happened. When it missed its start date, I fought VA over that. I was one of the first to apply. Then in 2022 I had EH check and it said I didn’t exist. So I applied again. It would not let me past the enrollment qualifier because Gulf War 1990 locations are not included. Finally got help from Peter Rumm, and others to get past that. Ended up being a 10 minute visual exam, chest xray, and PFT test. Here it is 2024 and I have a 2 inch tumor in my lung that finally showed up from a CT scan. No one is helping me, no one cares, and I’m on my own trying to find out just how bad this is.
Over 7 years VA had 100,000 sign up for the registry, and only have 30,000 get exams. Chest Xray won’t find what a CT scan will. Be looking for soft body tumors in the scar tissue. It’s there, no one is looking.
I couldn’t agree more. I’m experiencing the same B.S. from VA. Nothing but apologies and excuses why nothing is being done. The VA hospital in Shreveport especially is the biggest circus and cluster f… I have ever witnessed. They caused me to have a diabetic stroke in 2020 which I am now 90% disability rating only thanks to DAV pushing claims for this and other issues. I have 4 cases on appeal that started in 2021 still waiting. With no answer as to when they will be settled. And this is coming from the Board of Appeals in DC. Going on 3 years now on some of these cases. I’m so glad our government is more concerned with gender bathroom issues and identifying someone as a cat than taking care of veterans. Thank god for the DAV at least they do what they can.
You need to call VA White House Complaint Line 1.855.948.2311 They should be able to help you if not then call your Congressman or Santor. First start with the White House Complaint Line Good Luck. And I am sorry you are having to go thru this.
The first president to help me as Bill Clinton, and back then the
White House phone line went to a special liaison officer who
stayed by you. You know who got rid of that specialty number?
Donald Trump. He killed dozens of secret numbers around the
hill vets used to call for help. Man I had a black book of numbers
in 2003.
Sec of VA Denis McDonough was White House staff during the Bush
admin. Back then I was known world wide as Bushes hardest opponent
to deployment of troops in 2003. December 2022 he declared war on
me and my website. I sent him over 23 emails tied to all manner of
events. I was the first public critic of the PACT act because of its loopholes.
Finally stood in front of him September 2023 at 810 Vermont street and
he made hollow promises, Put my name and number in his cell phone.
Nothing after that. Still dodging me.
5 presidents knew of me, 11 secretaries of VA over 26 years. That and $2
will get me a cup of coffee. Biden doesnt even return emails. They know
who I am and want me to die. As long as Im poor, I dont matter to them.
I miss the VA and DOD of 1999, when I could at least get in the door and
committees feared me. Being little people sucks.