According to Dr. Patricia Hastings, chief consultant for post-deployment health services at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), more scientific information is needed in order for the VA to confirm or correctly assume the possible or known long-term adverse health effects caused by toxic exposure.
However, according to an article published by Stars and Stripes, “[Recently] declassified Defense Department documents show the Pentagon knew troops were exposed to multiple toxins and hazards that have led to hundreds of cancer cases and dozens of dead veterans after deploying to the Karshi-Khanabad Air Base, known as K2, in Uzbekistan in the early days of the War on Terror.”
House lawmakers continue to be frustrated by the agency’s continued unwillingness to provide healthcare to veterans who have been exposed to toxic substances during service.
Relevant pages: Veterans Disability