OPINION: Remember veterans victimized by toxins

In April 1999, Congress designated the month of May National Military Appreciation Month. Since then, May has been dedicated to our more than 1.3 million active-duty military men, women, their families and approximately 15.8 million veterans. Communities nationwide honor the services and sacrifices of past and present members of the U.S. Navy, Marines, Army, Air Force, Space Force, National Guard and Coast Guard.

This special month is for the general public to recognize the contributions of military spouses and families. Moreover, Memorial Day on May 26 is to remember those who lost their lives while serving their country, and Armed Forces Day, on the third Saturday of May, is for paying tribute to the military personnel currently serving.

May is the perfect occasion for raising much-needed awareness of the military community’s challenges. Toxic exposure and related disabilities affect thousands of active members and veterans. Active and retired military personnel and their families living on military bases were exposed to several contaminants on the job, ranging from air pollutants (burn pits, sand, dust) and toxic chemicals (Agent Orange, industrial solvents like PFAS) to radiation and occupational hazards, like asbestos.

Many of these occupational hazards and toxic agents are silent and unknown enemies lurking on military bases in the air, soil, landfills, groundwater and drinking water. Asbestos, for instance, is one of the most dangerous substances to veterans, especially those who served during WWII and the Korean and Vietnam wars. Exposure to asbestos, a cost-effective, durable and heat-resistant mineral, was used regularly in all branches of the US Armed Forces, especially in the Navy, which relied on it between the 1920s and 1980s. Even if the Environmental Protection Agency regulated asbestos use, its microscopic mineral fibers could still be found in the barracks boiler rooms, ammunition rooms, warships and fighter planes, exposing service members to the malignant asbestos-linked conditions of mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer. The rare but deadly mesothelioma, a cancer exclusively linked to asbestos exposure, affects veterans in a disproportionate manner: about 30% of all mesothelioma patients in the U.S. are veterans.

New Mexico’s and Albuquerque’s veteran and active-duty military population is also affected by the risks of toxic exposure. It’s a sad fact mirrored in statistics showing that, in 2022, around 36% of the state’s veterans had a disability. These men and women were and still are exposed to chemical pollutants on New Mexico’s military bases.

Veterans and active military members nationwide are getting ill day by day as a result of years-long exposure to toxins. Family members are also in danger due to indirect contamination, while the health of those living on military installations is undoubtedly at risk. In 2022, the Senate passed the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act (PACT Act) to acknowledge toxic exposure as a significant occupational hazard in the U.S. Armed Forces. The PACT Act expanded Veterans Affairs health care and benefits for veterans.

The PACT Act brought significant change for those exposed to harmful substances by making the application process for disability benefits and health care services more straightforward. However, despite evidence linking contaminants to severe health conditions, the Act leaves behind veterans suffering from exposures not included in the law.

Additionally, the VA faces challenges and bureaucratic shortcomings in handling the many compensation claims, leading to significant delays in VA health care and disability benefit claims. Many veterans live with aggressive or uncurable conditions. The National Military Appreciation Month could and should be a platform for raising awareness and fostering dialogue about the experiences and challenges of military members, veterans and their families with toxic exposure.