News US soldiers burned their waste in the Mideast wars — and now it’s killing them

[mystery-ak]

http://nypost.com/2016/04/09/us-soldiers-burned-their-waste-in-the-mideast-wars-and-now-its-killing-them/



News
US soldiers burned their waste in the Mideast wars — and now it’s killing them

By Perry Chiaramonte

April 9, 2016 | 11:59am

Thousands of U.S. military personnel who served on bases in Iraq and Afghanistan recall the dense black smoke from burn pits where everything from IEDs to human waste was incinerated.

Now many have died, and more are gravely ill. Those battling a grim menu of cancers, as well as their loved ones and advocates, trace their condition to breathing in the toxic fumes they say could be the most recent wars’ version of Agent Orange or Gulf War Illness.

“The clouds of smoke would just hang throughout the base,” Army Sgt. Daniel Diaz, who was stationed at Joint Base Balad, in Iraq’s Sunni Triangle from 2004-2005, told FoxNews.com. “No one ever gave it any thought. You are just so focused on the mission at hand. In my mind, I was just getting ready for the fight.”

Diaz returned from duty in 2008. A year later, he started developing health problems including cancer, chronic fatigue and weakness, neuropathy and hypothyroidism. Nearly every base he was stationed at during his four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan had burn pits nearby – and pungent smoke everywhere.

“When I was stationed at Camp Wright, there was one 20-30 feet from our rooms,” he says. “No one ever questioned whether it was dangerous having it so close. Not even once.”

During the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan, the burn pit method was adopted originally as a temporary measure to get rid of waste and garbage generated on bases. Everything was incinerated in the pits, say soldiers, including plastics, batteries, appliances, medicine, dead animals and even human waste. The items were often set ablaze with jet fuel as the accelerant.

Joint Base Balad, where Diaz was partially stationed, burned up to 147 tons of waste per day as recently as the summer of 2008, according to The Army Times.

The incineration of the waste generated numerous pollutants including carbon monoxide and dioxide—the same chemical compound found in Agent Orange, which left many Vietnam vets sick after it was used as a defoliant.

continued

[Free Vulcan]

The incineration of the waste generated numerous pollutants including carbon monoxide and dioxide—the same chemical compound found in Agent Orange, which left many Vietnam vets sick after it was used as a defoliant.

Just had to slip the CO2 in there as a pollutant for the whole global warming thing.

[GourmetDan]

Just had to slip the CO2 in there as a pollutant for the whole global warming thing.

I think they really meant to say dioxin... I actually read it that way until you pointed it out.   

[truth_seeker]

Just had to slip the CO2 in there as a pollutant for the whole global warming thing.

WTF does global warming have to do with it? The article is about servicemen and their illnesses.

[Free Vulcan]

I think they really meant to say dioxin... I actually read it that way until you pointed it out.   

That would make much more sense.

[musiclady]

I don't like this a bit.  One of our son's duties in his first deployment in 2003 at Camp Victory was to take waste out in barrels and burn it.  I think it was just the waste though, and it wasn't an open pit.......

[mystery-ak]

My husband was at Balad during this time...he said the USAF got the brunt of this as the burn pile was near them. He said the air was putrid. When he left in 2004 he had to sign documents acknowledging these conditions for future reference.

When he returned to Balad in 07 nothing had changed..they were still burning this in camp instead of taking this out farther into the desert....

He has saved all these records just in case he ever shows any symptoms....so far so good!

[musiclady]

Encourage him to get all his regular screenings and to educate himself on the early signs of cancer.  And pray.

He's pretty good at keeping up with his medical needs.  He's got a minor war related disability (2, actually) and goes to the VA pretty regularly.

I'll make sure to remind him again, though.  (Even though he's married to a nurse!)

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Carbon monoxide = CO, no CO2, which is carbon dioxide. CO is a deadly pollutant, ever winter scores of people die silently in their sleep from it.

Unfortunately I don't think I've ever seen any conclusive cause of the Gulf War syndrome. Lot's of suspects, but nothing to nail down conclusively.

Could also be psychosomatic, which people don't want to admit. Not say it is, or even likely, but it is a possibility.

[musiclady]

That's good.  Many in my family are #NeverGoToDoctor people.  Not as some weird religious thing, LOL.  We just don't.  Mostly it doesn't matter.  But my sister died of cervical cancer and my husband of prostate cancer.  That was a high price.  Doesn't change my habits, but thought I would remind others anyway.  Caught early, many cancers are very treatable.

I'm sorry for your losses.  Cancer is a terrible disease.  I've lost too many to it's ravages (mother, father, sister, father in law) .....

My husband's uncle died of what would have been very treatable prostrate cancer if he had gone to the doctor when he first got symptoms.  Fortunately our son gets things checked out regularly, so I think he'll be fine.

[Bill Cipher]

I'm surprised.  I would have thought the US government, including the military, would have learned the lessons by now.

[Free Vulcan]

I'm surprised.  I would have thought the US government, including the military, would have learned the lessons by now.

Me too. Getting a snoot full of burning toxic items can bring immediate issues in addition to long term ones that could affect readiness. Get the wrong thing in there with the wind in the right direction and you got half the camp down for days.