Disease triggered while in Iraq that might kill you, don't count on combat related.

J

jfly

PEB Forum Regular Member
I am/was a pilot and I was there at Balad last year. I started feeling symptoms while I was there and 6 months after the deployment was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune/neurological condition that is potentially associated with cancer that has completely taken my life to 0mph. One day I am flying, the next I am explaining to my kids why I have a walker. No one that I can find has ever been diagnosed with it in the military. Most doctors don't even know what it is when I see them. It is triggered by environmentals, hmm, burn pit? The board processes are about to kick off and I keep getting told that this probably won't even be considered combat related...how does that make sense? It was obviously the burn pit at Balad that triggered this.

Thanks Balad​
 
Disease triggered while in Iraq that might kill you, don't count on combat relate

I feel you pain. I was at Balad in 2006 and I'm paying the price now: Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, asthma, broncholitis, Hashimoto's, hypothyroidism and daily headaches/nosebleeds. I worked and lived a stones throw from the pits. I have other AFSOC buddies in the same boat with almost identical problems.

My flight doc was pushing up a waiver to keep me flying until two days ago when he advised me that an MEB has to go up with the waiver. So, now I'm waiting to hear back from flt med to initiate the process.

Just like everything else in the military, document everything and get copies of all your records now.

Keep posting, as will I. Hope things get resolved for you.
 
Disease triggered while in Iraq that might kill you, don't count on combat relate

I too was in Balad in 2009....I already had Graves Disease and was treated and stable prior to going and had been for years. I came home and was so exhausted I could not think straight and went in with complaints of high heart rate and tremors and extreme fatigue. Since I have been diagnosed with aggressive Rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus, and another autoimmune disorder that isn't categorized and Fibromyalgia. I am being boarded after 17 years of service and was told that the Air Force Medical system doesn't consider the exposure to the environmentals an issue and it will not be considered in my board. I don't intend to allow that to happen period. I intend to write a letter to go along with my package and include the DOD training guide to the VA for exposure in my package. I don't know if it will make a difference, but I KNOW THAT I WASN'T SICK UNTIL I WENT OVER THERE! IF You find out anything please let me know, and I will do the same.
 
Disease triggered while in Iraq that might kill you, don't count on combat relate

I might be off the chart here, but when you mean burn pit - as in burning of other peoples shit right? I have a female soldier who was in that exact place you speak of, and she has had lots of cancer issues etc. it's been a long haul/process for her.

My question is, how exactly is this burn pit stuff causing all these issues? Is it really that super toxic?

murph.
 
Disease triggered while in Iraq that might kill you, don't count on combat relate

Murph,

There is more info posted here on the site that lists the actual chemicals/toxins released from the pits. I can say that (when I was there) they burned human body parts/medical waste, animal carcass, used solvents/chemicals, batteries, oil, plastic (including millions of bottles), tires, metals, paints, human feces, etc. To top it all off, JP8 (jet fuel) was used constantly to ignite fires. The smoke was so thick at times you would do your best to hold your breath while going from one tent to the next. Is it combat related...no doubt. Balad is in a combat zone, and nowhere does it state that combat injuries have to come from enemy contact. It's obvious that we didn't need the enemy to kill us, our contractors were well capable of doing it themselves.

We were unnecessarily put at risk in order for KBR/Haliburton to make more profit...period. They were paid to buy incenerators, but instead redirected the funding to "other projects". Now, many vets are paying the price and KBR/Haliburton will still profit from the pits because they mitigated the risk before they even built the pits, forecasting that (even after fines/lawsuits) they will still make a handsome profit.
 
Disease triggered while in Iraq that might kill you, don't count on combat relate

The VA website also has information on the these deadly toxic burn pits. This is the Agent Orange issue for the Iraq war.
Just pray it doesn't take as long to compensate for the deadly health issues associated with these burn pits as it took for our Viet Nam Vets with Agent orange.

nwlivewire
 
Disease triggered while in Iraq that might kill you, don't count on combat relate

Good point, nwlivewire. I had a discussion with my dad about this last night (he was recon during nam and "swam" in AO the whole time he was over there). The difference between the two is that with AO, the government was responsible. With the burn pits, civilian contractors are at fault. It's a lot easier to pursue corporations than it is ti pursue the government. I agree, hopefully the process won't take as long.
 
Disease triggered while in Iraq that might kill you, don't count on combat relate

I was in Afghanistan 2007-2008 and got sick first time, then was transfered to JBB on 22 Nov 2008. Because of chronic fatigue, Site paramedic susspected on Lupus , and I was sent home for blod testing. I am from Bosnia, we were throug war and now our hospitals recovering...due to lack of material, most of the tests, hospitals could not do.Once that they did showed doubled antibodies . My doctor could not say what was going on. I returned to work with Fibromyalgia diagnosis. KBR kicked me out from job couple months leather for being sick all the time. I am mother of small child, I have no help from my country, I do not know what to do. I am still sick, I hardly go day by day. I just would like to know if I have lupus.
 
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