On March 1, VA announced its intention of adding nine rare respiratory cancers to the list of presumed service-connected disabilities in relation to exposure to toxic chemicals in the air, water, or soil for Veterans who served any amount of time in the Southwest Asia theater of operations.
If you served in OIF, and have a disability or illness as a result, you may be eligible for VA benefits and services.
Veterans who served in Iraq, Afghanistan or other areas of Southwest Asia may have been exposed to airborne hazards like burn pits. Here’s how to proactively monitor your health and help other Veterans.
Veterans exposed to airborne hazards, sign up with the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry. Help us understand long-term effects, improve care and connect you with the care you’ve earned.
Real life Veteran stories about how participating in the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry and Gulf War Registry positively impacted their health and probably saved their lives.
Were you exposed to hazardous materials while serving in the military, such as from Agent Orange or burn pits? Did you serve in Vietnam, Thailand or Southwest Asia? If so, you may be eligible to file for service-connected benefits based on presumptive exposure.
VA will begin processing disability claims Aug. 2 for asthma, rhinitis and sinusitis on a presumptive basis based on presumed particulate matter exposures during military service in Southwest Asia and certain other areas — if these conditions manifested within 10 years of a qualifying period of military service.
Desert Storm was a short war, but Veterans from that era still have many different avenues and programs to connect with VA.
VA announced today two major decisions related to presumptive conditions associated with Agent Orange and particulate matter exposures during military service in Southwest Asia.
Nearly 700,000 men and women served in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in the early 1990s. Now, three decades later, as many as a third of that population are affected by a cluster of medically unexplained chronic symptoms that have plagued them following their return from deployment. The symptoms can include fatigue, headaches, joint pain, indigestion, bowel discomfort, insomnia, dizziness, respiratory disorders, skin problems, and memory impairment. VA clinicians and researchers often call this condition "Gulf War illness” in the medical literature.
Bill Watts earned awards during his tours of duty which included service as a Gulf War combat Veteran. Today his award is the one he receives as an advocate helping his fellow Gulf War Veterans.