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Remember the burn pit? Well, it may be killing you.
Those of us that have spent time in the Middle East remember it well. For some of us it was hundreds of yards away. For others, it was just a few feet from their rooms. The Burn Pit, where we would burn our trash and often even our own bodily waste, is now killing service members years later.From New York Post:
Thousands of U.S. military personnel who served on bases in Iraq and Afghanistan recall the dense black smoke from burn pits where everything from IEDs to human waste was incinerated.
Now many have died, and more are gravely ill. Those battling a grim menu of cancers, as well as their loved ones and advocates, trace their condition to breathing in the toxic fumes they say could be the most recent wars’ version of Agent Orange or Gulf War Illness.“The clouds of smoke would just hang throughout the base,” Army Sgt. Daniel Diaz, who was stationed at Joint Base Balad, in Iraq’s Sunni Triangle from 2004-2005, told FoxNews.com. “No one ever gave it any thought. You are just so focused on the mission at hand. In my mind, I was just getting ready for the fight.”
Who would have thought? What are you thoughts and concerns? Let us know in the comments section and on our social media pages!
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