How Jon Stewart is leading the fight for veterans suffering from burn pit exposure

[rangerrebew]

How Jon Stewart is leading the fight for veterans suffering from burn pit exposure

    Kelly Kennedy, The War Horse
    Nov 3, 2020 1:44 PM EST
 

No matter who wins the presidential election, talk show host Jon Stewart and activist and Army veteran John Feal say they’ve got a plan to push through legislation to get health care, research, and recognition for service members exposed to toxins—particularly the massive pits used to burn trash in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I’m embarrassed that I didn’t know about it sooner,” Feal said. “If I had, I would have had my team of 9/11 first responders doing double duty. I’m bringing them back for this.”

They both recognize the fight for burn pit veterans has been tough. Military Times first reported the potential for toxic exposure in the pits in 2008. Since then, the same experts have appeared over and over again before the same panels on the Hill to argue for benefits and presumption for burn pit veterans, but in August, the War Horse reported that just over 10,000 claims had been filed for burn pit exposure—though 200,000 people have signed up for Veterans Affairs’ burn pit registry—and of those, only just over 2,000 had their claims approved.

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/jon-stewart-burn-pit-legislation

[txradioguy]

Can't really stand Stewart, never thought he was funny...but I'm glad to see him putting his celebrity weight behind this after what he did for the 9/11 first responders.

I'm signed up on the VA burn pit registry.  My exposure goes back to Somalia.

I hope the VA and the DoD don't drag their feet on this like they've done in the past with Agent Orange and Gulf War Syndrome.