Bottom Line Up Front: If you served on a military base, you might have been exposed to dangerous chemicals called PFAS. These chemicals can make you sick years later. Here’s what you need to know.
What Are PFAS? 🧪
PFAS are man-made chemicals used since the 1940s. The military used them in firefighting foam starting in the 1970s to put out fuel fires.
But firefighting foam isn’t the only problem. For decades, the military buried old artillery shells, bombs, and other equipment underground at bases and training sites. These buried materials have been leaking chemicals into the soil and water for years.
Here’s the problem: these chemicals don’t go away. They stay in your body, in the ground, and in the water. Once they’re there, they stay there.
Why Should Veterans Care? 🎖️
Because hundreds of military bases have dirty water. This is the same water you drank, cooked with, and bathed in when you served. Experts found 710 U.S. military bases with these bad chemicals.
Bases with the worst problems include:
- Camp Lejeune (North Carolina) 🚨
- Camp Pendleton (California) 🏖️
- Fort Bragg (North Carolina) 🌲
- Fort Dix (New Jersey) 🏭
- Fort Ord (California) 🌊
Some bases had chemical levels millions of times higher than what’s safe.
Health Problems Linked to These Chemicals 🏥
Doctors think these chemicals might cause:
- Cancer: Prostate, kidney, testicular 🎗️
- Liver problems
- Thyroid problems
- High cholesterol
- Weak immune system
- Problems having children
- Problems in kids whose parents were exposed
Sound familiar? Many of these are the same problems we see from other toxic chemicals. Even if you didn’t get sick until after you left the service, or you think your sickness came from bad water, soil, or other harmful stuff where you served, speak up!
The Hard Truth About VA Claims 📋
Here’s the bad news: The VA doesn’t automatically connect any sickness to these chemicals yet. That means you have to prove your case the hard way.
But don’t give up. If you think your health problem came from chemical exposure during service, you can still file a claim. You need to show:
- You have a diagnosed condition now ✅
- You were exposed during service (proof you were at a contaminated base) ✅
- A doctor says there’s a connection ✅
How to Build Your Case 💪
Write Everything Down: 📝
- Find out if your bases are on contamination lists
- Get copies of all your medical records
- Talk to your doctor about possible connections
- What Sarge did: She wrote a letter listing every place she was stationed and found news stories about contamination at those places – then sent it all to the VA with your claim! Check the “Templates” section of the B2B website to see how to do this. www.boots2benefits.com/resources/templates
Get Help: 🤝
- Ask your doctor about these chemicals and your symptoms
- Ask your doctor to write a letter connecting your service to your sickness
- Think about working with someone who knows toxic exposure cases
Stay Up to Date: 📚
- New research comes out all the time
- New studies might lead to automatic approval in the future
- Keep track of new laws
The Big Picture
This isn’t just about your claim – it’s about what’s right. The military used these chemicals without knowing they were dangerous, and now you and your family are paying for it.
We’ve seen this before with Agent Orange, burn pits, and Camp Lejeune. It takes years of fighting before the VA admits the connection, but we always win in the end.
What You Can Do Right Now ⚡
- Check your bases: See if where you served is on contamination lists 🔍
- Watch your health: Pay attention to symptoms and see your doctor regularly 🩺
- Keep records: Save all your medical papers 📄
- Connect with other veterans: Join groups talking about chemical exposure 👥
- File your claim: Even without automatic approval, you might have a good case 📤
Final Thoughts 💭
These chemical problems are real, they’re everywhere, and they’re hurting veterans from all branches. The VA hasn’t caught up yet, but that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck.
Remember: You served your country. If that service made you sick from harmful chemicals, you deserve to be taken care of. Don’t wait for the system to catch up – start fighting for what you earned now.
Got questions about chemical exposure or need help with your VA claim? I’m here to help veterans get the benefits they earned.
💪Stay strong, stay informed, and remember – no veteran fights alone.
~🏅Sarge
Founder, Boots 2 Benefits, LLC
U.S. Army Veteran | Master’s in Criminal Justice
📧 sarge@boots2benefits.com
📞 (443) 924-6809
🌐 www.Boots2Benefits.com
“You served. You earned it. Now file with confidence.”
🤝Even Sarge isn’t infallible—I’ve been known to mix up my left from my right during formation, so always double-check everything I tell you because while my heart’s in the right place, my brain occasionally goes AWOL, and the last thing we need is a friendly fire incident!🏅