Thousands of US civilians were exposed to toxic burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. Why are they not getting the same lifetime benefits as veterans?
about the causal link is an example of the bind that many veterans found themselves in before the passage of the PACT Act.
"It's an alphabet soup," Pfaff said of the diagnoses she got. She ticks them off:"POTS, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome," which causes brain fog, rapid heartbeats, lightheadedness and even fainting if she has to stand for long periods."MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity," which makes the body's immune system hyper-sensitive to certain chemicals, such as formaldehyde, frequently given off by new furniture and carpeting.
In this image, US Marines from the 2nd Division , 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, carry 80-100 pounds of locally confiscated hashish and opium to a burn pit August 15, 2009; in the right inset, a soldier throws his silver toilet bag, containing human waste, onto a burn pit.
He was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan multiple times in the seven years after 2009. But without a pre-deployment baseline — a medical examination showing his lung function before he was deployed — there isn't any way to prove his condition wasn't pre-existing.