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Congratulations to Jon Stewart who spearheaded a long and hard fought battle to win medical and disability benefits for veterans who breathed smoke from burn pits during their service in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Although not widely known, virtually all of our service people and contractors stationed in the Middle East were exposed on their bases to the daily burning of their trash, plastic, medical waste, and toxic chemicals in open burn pits. Everyone breathed that polluted air on the army bases and it was not good.

What you need to know about the PACT Act and where it takes us from here:

  1. Many military and contract workers developed cancer, respiratory illness or lost their lives. Until now there has been limited recognition of this tragedy. Now with the passage of the PACT Act under S. 437 Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act the surviving veterans will get proper treatment and disability for cancer and respiratory issues through the Veterans Department.  Some conditions are presumptive and other conditions require a diagnosis from a doctor relating the condition. Also the VA can have you examined by their doctor. Certain conditions carry a presumption that they came from the burns pits so benefits can be awarded without a causal connection statement from a medical doctor.
  2. These cancers are now presumptive:Burn Pit
    • Brain cancer
    • Gastrointestinal cancer of any type
    • Glioblastoma
    • Head cancer of any type
    • Kidney cancer
    • Lymphatic cancer of any type
    • Lymphoma of any type
    • Melanoma
    • Neck cancer
    • Pancreatic cancer
    • Reproductive cancer of any type
    • Respiratory (breathing-related) cancer of any type

    These illnesses are now presumptive:

    • Asthma that was diagnosed after service
    • Chronic bronchitis
    • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
    • Chronic rhinitis
    • Chronic sinusitis
    • Constrictive bronchiolitis or obliterative bronchiolitis
    • Emphysema
    • Granulomatous disease
    • Interstitial lung disease (ILD)
    • Pleuritis
    • Pulmonary fibrosis
    • Sarcoidosis
  3. Veterans can apply for coverage under the PACT (Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxins) Act.  This link takes you to the application form.  To quality the veteran must show employment during the time periods at these locations:
    • Iraq between August 2, 1990, and February 28, 1991, as well as from March 19, 2003, until burn pits are no longer used in this location;
    • Southwest Asia (including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar) from August 2, 1990, until burn pits are no longer used in these locations; and
    • Afghanistan, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Yemen, and Djibouti from September 11, 2001, until burn pits are no longer used in these locations.

    This is a much needed recognition for many people who suffer with these conditions. For the families who had their service member return home only to suffer a long unexpected painful death from cancer or respiratory disease, the loss has been devastating. Family members may be entitled to survivor benefits and a modest funeral reimbursement. Read more at the VA site for the amounts.

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Never Forgotten…We Help Injured Contractors in Iraq

We know this occupation has been drawn out since the USA led invasion in 2003. Military contractors are still hard at work in Iraq. If you or a loved one were working as a defense contractor in Erbil and were injured in the recent attack in Iraq, you may be able to obtain federal workers compensation benefits under the Defense Base Act.

On February 15, 2021, terrorists carried out a rocket attack on a U.S. military base in the capital of Kurdistan, in northern Iraq. Because of the excellent service  KBR provides to our country through contract workers, they had workers injured in these dangerous locations. Defense One reports the insurgents claim to have fired 24 rockets in this attack killing at least one defense contractor, one U.S. military official, and one local civilian. In addition to the three reported deaths, at least six other civilian contractors were injured in the attack this week. At this time, the citizenship of all those wounded or killed in the attack is unknown.defense-base-act-dba-service-page-300x145

Under the Defense Base Act, your citizenship is irrelevant. If you were working for a U.S. defense contractor, you may be entitled to benefits under the Defense Base Act. If you or a loved one was injured or killed in this attack, it is important you contact an attorney who specializes in Defense Base Act cases.

While three deaths have been reported so far, it is unknown what injuries the other contractors suffered in the attack on Monday.  Reuters reported that its staff “heard several loud explosions and saw a fire break out near the airport.” ABC News reported that three rockets struck military housing located at the Erbil International Airport.

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Know your rights.

You need to know your injuries are covered under the Defense Base Act if you were working as a civilian contractor in Iraq.

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Civilian Contractors Injured in Iraq in the Iran Missile Attack

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