10 months ago
33
(NewsNation) — The Defense Department knows of astir 400 Iraq warfare veterans who experienced “possible oregon probable” vulnerability to chemic weapons during their service.
But, according to immoderate of those vets, they’re not getting the assistance they need, according to a study successful Stars and Stripes.
“I americium inactive warring conscionable to get recognized by the VA and we’re benignant of getting nowhere,” said Istvan Gabor, a sergeant who worked astatine an Iraq weapons demolition tract called Arlington Depot wherever abandoned arsenals were removed from bunkers and detonated.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has formed a caller squad to measure and connection attraction to those vets. Called VET-HOME, the squad is expected to facilitate interaction tracing, objective exams for chemic weapons vulnerability and aesculapian attraction for impacted veterans.
The VA said past week that it has granted 35 claims for disablement benefits related to chemic weapons vulnerability successful Iraq from 2003-2011. But it is not sharing the locations wherever those 400 vets were exposed.
Some of those vets study that they’re not the lone ones suffering. Gabor says his son, who was conceived aft helium near the Army, was diagnosed with brittle bony illness astatine birth. He uses a wheelchair and has had hundreds of bony fractures.
Kendra Peachey-Lubin, a erstwhile backstage who joined the Army successful April 2003, near the work erstwhile she became pregnant. Her son, Hunter, present 19, was calved with a uncommon familial upset that causes intelligence disability, respiratory illnesses, musculus weakness, impaired centrifugal relation and feeding issues.
Peachey-Lubin said she has tried to get aesculapian claims for chemic weapons vulnerability related to Hunter’s condition. She said she saw 3 doctors successful 18 months. She besides saw her seasoned work serviceman speech astir her content that determination is simply a nonstop enactment betwixt her chemic weapons vulnerability and her son’s aesculapian issues.
“I privation this accusation successful my files, truthful determination is documentation,” she told Stars and Stripes. “The VA is confused by this. They look astatine maine similar I person a 3rd eye. They are clueless connected however to process a assertion for a kid with his benignant of aesculapian issues.” “No 1 wants to interaction this oregon bash thing astir it. They beauteous overmuch region themselves from the situation.”
Some connected Capitol Hill are trying to help. Rep. Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., wrote a missive to VA Secretary Denis McDonough successful July urging him to velocity up the aesculapian valuation process for those who mightiness beryllium connected to chemic weapons exposure.
Sen. John Tester, D-Montana, introduced a to money probe connected connections betwixt toxic exposures and commencement defects successful the children of exposed veterans. The findings could beryllium utilized to enactment benefits for children of exposed veterans who were calved with superior commencement defects, his bureau said.
