Dear Jim,
While deployed to Iraq, I was living close to a burn pit and sometimes in charge of it. We burned everthing from batteries to body parts. We not only breathed the smoke but sometimes covered in soot from it.
How can I get the VA to acknowledge that those burn pits may have contributed to several of my symptoms and illnesses? What can I do to help the VA see that burn pit exposure does cause health issues?
Reply:
There are many things you can and should do.
You haven't told me if you filed a claim and were denied. If that's the case, you should hire an attorney. Please click this link to learn more
http://www.vawatchdog.org/how-to-hire-a-veterans-law-attorney.html
If you haven't filed a claim, you should proceed to do so. Read
http://www.vawatchdog.org/how-to-file-a-claim.html
When you file a claim, you should be very specific about what the medical diagnosis is and what your symptoms are. You can't just file a claim and say something like, "I have problems from burn pit smoke."
You must be able to say, "I have a diagnosis of chronic bronchitis and my symptoms include significant shortness of breath, an inability to walk short distances without losing my breath and I have sleep disturbances."
VA needs specific diagnoses and specific symptoms to work with. You can find more about that here
http://www.benefits.va.gov/warms/bookc.asp
VA is aware of burn pits and the potential for harm. Click the link below for more
http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/burnpits/action-plan.asp
You may also want to consider getting an IME/IMO done. Read
http://www.vawatchdog.org/imo-ime-medical-opinions-exams.html
The VA is dealing with this much like they did for agent orange during my generation. They delayed and denied everything related to agent orange for many years. As medical science caught up and discovered the truth about agent orange, VA benefits for exposure fell into place.
The veterans who had filed claims early and those who were persistent and never gave up were the winners. After years and years of struggle, many veterans finally prevailed in their agent orange claims.
Dealing with VA is never simple or easy. VA is not your friend and they aren't there to help you. You must continue to aggressively file the claims for the benefits you deserve.