I am a 21 yr Veteran. I deployed to Kirkuk, Iraq in 2004 & Bagram, Afgh. I was exposed to 2 burnpits & prison chemical hazards. I have had 3 surgeries. I have constant pain in my lungs, cant breathe, cough, sleep apnea, cysts in myliver, deep scaring/globs in my lungs, had to quit MSW program due to memory problems, fatique, etc. Close to having to stop work. Pushing to keep working to pay bills.

I was a former Navy petty officer stationed at Balad air base in 2006-2007, I don't remember a day without the thick cloud and nasty smell comming from the balad burn pit, you would wake up with this taste on your tounge, in the past few yrs my breathing has gotten worse, I don't smoke and when I come up out of the dry docks stairs, folks that do smoke just pass me by, because I need to make several stops, I have gained alot of weight since then, and thats not even in my family, if you have symptoms like this please email me at kilts210-at-aol-dot-com

I was in Balad from 2004-2009, I have been hospitalized numerous times for sinus problems and other health conditions since returning to the States, even the Military Reserves tried to over look me and discharge me without my acknowledgement because I was a contractor. It's a shame I have good memories from my time but this was a nightmare when ever I had to pass the pit and knew what they where burning.. God bless you all.. because VA will be hearing my story shortly...

I lived in H-6 during my time at Balad in 2009.  I worked on the flightline, which was even closer to the burn pit.  Our entire work area would be covered in soot and ash.  I now have IBS, and bleeding intestines, as well as polyps and glowths in my colon.  Two of the guys that I was at Balad with have died of intestinal cancers, and I'm terrified.

I was at kandahar 05-06 burn pits were common nothing was talked about. while i was at f o b summerall,in bayji iraq,we burned every thing you name it we burned it we had 1 k b r guy and 2 guys from nepal,or india and not much supervision,every thing in our chu,s smelled like the burn pit,i spent many a,hour around there lookin for material,are used elec,parts when we didnt have what we needed.never did see a mask on anyone...

Stage 4 cancer survivor from this burn pit crap,read my other post.I need a real chance at tsgl,why do we not count?! That wrong!it states where we qualify but I get denied.hell I want to talk to the president and see his insight on me getting denied.that's the only way to possibly defend myself.I have contacted mccains arizona office-20min voicemail,no he didn't call back,met affiliate to the obamam administration and asked him,he said I don't know referring to what the president is going to do about soldiers getting cancer from the burn pits"I don't know"was the answer. Took my # down and never called back(I was the only# they took down)u tell me our govt isn't corrupt.I gave 14 yrs to protect this country and this is how diseased soldiers get repaid.killerlooks75 on. The yahoo if u have some real inisight on what I can do to get approved like people who don't deploy and get in alcohol related car accidents and still get tsgi.this makes me sick!

I was part of the 51st Transportation Company (PLS), 181st Trans Bn, 3rd COSCOM and we were there at Anaconda (AKA Sustainer Army Airfield) Balad in early May 2003 as part of OIF. We were tasked with making daily runs to the burn pits; but we had to man three guard towers adjacent to the pits, < 20 meters from our towers. These daily shifts were E-5 and below; two guards per shift, 12 hours at a time. We ate, sat and waited out there in towers 20' off the ground. We were inhaling plumes of chemical smoke so bad, we used our brown t-shirts to try to buffer the smoke. I was an E-5 at the time and I pulled my fair share of both trash burning and guard duty. Soon after our tour at Balad, I returned to Mannheim and obtained my first prescription for what I thought was heartburn. Seven years later, I am an Army officer diagnosed with severe GERD and will require laptic band surgery to repair it. I was in excellent physical condition but find my quality of life deteriorating as my stomach. I managed using OTC, prescription meds of all brands and compositions as well as frequent endoscopic surgeries to be told there is nothing short of surgery they can do.