# of Veterans Affected by Toxic Exposures 6,000,000+

There are various pieces of legislation being discussed to combat toxic exposure.

 

The TEAM Coalition is a group of over 30 military and veteran service organizations and experts collectively gathering data, raising awareness, promoting research, and drafting legislation on the impact of toxic exposures on those who were made ill as the result of their military service.

Exposure to contaminants or other environmental hazards continue to be a major health issue for veterans of all generations. Those who were exposed, have developed cancers, autoimmune disorders, skin diseases, respiratory illnesses, and other conditions.

Toxic Exposures at a Glance: 

  • More than 2.7 million veterans affected by Agent Orange
  • More than 15,000 veterans impacted by chemical and radioactive exposures at a K2 installation in Uzbekistan
  • More than 425,000 veterans affected by Gulf War Syndrome
  • More than 3 million (and rising) current and former servicemembers impacted during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

More on the TEAM Coalition

Testimonials

A Survivor’s Story

In July 1992 I met my husband SGM Robert J Bowman. I was 20 years old. Six months after we met, we were married in January 1993. Together we raised four beautiful daughters, moving every 2-3 years and living the life of an Army family. The morning of 9/11/01 we woke to a new “normal” Our new life was a life of war and deployments. Rob deployed to Mosul, Iraq in October 2004 he was gone one year. In 2007, in support of the surge, Rob deployed to Iraq again for 15 months, he was in and around Baghdad...


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Navigating My New Normal

I served in the Tennessee Army National Guard, Indiana Army National Guard, & the United States Army. During my time in the military I served in many areas across the country and even the world like Kosovo, Hurricane Katrina, and Iraq. Being a Soldier was all that I knew in life. All this changed the day that I was injured during combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq. On April 06, 2007 the infantry team that I was serving with was hit with a Chlorine Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device (CVBIED).


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Life After Toxic Exposure

I am a US Navy veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom who was exposed to a variety of airborne toxins from burn pits and other sources while I was deployed to Afghanistan for one year between 2010 and 2011. Before I went downrange during that period, I had zero breathing problems and completely healthy lungs. In the first couple of weeks after I arrived in Kabul, where the air is particularly bad, my lungs had a severe reaction and became infected. It was controlled...


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