In the scramble to respond to 911, US forces were deployed to the base because of its proximity to Afghanistan. They ended up being exposed to toxic chemicals, residue from chemical warfare, and radiation. They lived, worked, and slept in these conditions for weeks and months.
War is hell — but peace ain’t necessarily a piece of cake either. The effects of these exposures is manifesting in the form of cancer and other health issues. The response has been denial and delay.
Years after their deployments, as K2 veterans approached the Defense Department and the VA for help, they met a defense health establishment trained to doubt them.
“The most important messages to communicate are there were no K-2 exposures of health consequence,” instructs an undated three-page “Information for Health Care Staff” guide published by the Pentagon’s Deployment Health Clinical Center that was obtained by McClatchy.
“Some may believe they were exposed to dangerous chemicals and that they haven’t been told the truth,” the guide states. “Your reassurances may not lessen their level of concern.”
The guide emphasized that medical staff should show K2 veterans respect for their service to the country, observing “It often helps rapport if you thank them for that service.”
The VA responded to a query by McClatchy on the number of cancers among the service members based at K2 with a statement saying, “the premise of your inquiry is false. There is no indication ofincreased cancer rates among veterans who served at Karshi-Khanabad, which is why cancer is not a presumptive condition for veterans who served in that area.”
That phrase — “presumptive condition” — can mean the difference between the service member paying the bill for cancer treatments out of their own pocket or having the cost covered by the VA.
A presumptive condition is any medical issue that the VA has accepted as likely connected to a veteran’s military service.
No one joins the military because it is a safe line of work. Anyone who puts on a uniform and takes the oath knows they are pledging their life and their sacred honor to defend America and the constitution.
Anyone who assumes command responsibility knows that that authority includes the power, the necessity, to send people into harm’s way, even unto death. It is accepted on the basis that sometimes there is no other option, and the mission is that important. Those who go only ask that their sacrifice be necessary.
But what happens when that sacrifice occurs years later, far from the battlefield and those who gave those orders? Nothing good.
This is the ongoing shame of America, that we demand so much from the men and women who choose to serve, and treat them so horribly once they’ve been expended. It is the dark side of a voluntary military — the easy dismissal “They knew what they signed up for.”
The article by Copp should be front page news — will it get picked up anywhere else? I only saw it because I get emails from
Air Force Magazine’s news service, and it was one of the stories they linked to from general news about military stories. Share
the K2 story if you know a veteran or have family in the military. Share it with your Congressman and Senator.
We are treat the troops to empty gestures of ‘respect’ where we think holding a parade shows how much we support them. We spend billions on expensive weapons systems, but treat those expected to use them as disposable. We learned nothing from what happened in Vietnam with so many exposed to Agent Orange. It has taken too long to recognize the costs of PTSD and TBI.
They signed up to serve their country; is it too much to expect the country to serve them?