VETERANS AFFAIRS PACT ACT: A MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH FOR VETERANS Exposure of U.S. military personnel to toxic substances while serving abroad and at home is an issue that has spanned wars and generations. The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act, which passed the Senate in June and was expected to be signed into law in July, stands as a historic breakthrough to provide health-care and disability benefits for those veterans. The dangers of exposure to burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan cannot be understated. Noxious fumes and smoke included medical and human waste, jet fuel, chemicals, metal, munitions and unexploded ordnance, petroleum and lubricant products, plastics and more. Some 3.5 million post-9/11 veterans were exposed and face adverse health conditions that can be deadly. The PACT Act also provides relief and recognition for veterans exposed to atomic radiation, Agent Orange in previously unrecognized regions, contamination at the former Soviet air base known as K2 and more. The American Legion led veterans nationwide in 2022 to obtain bipartisan agreement and passage of the act, which aims to streamline access to health-care benefits and disability compensation for exposed and sickened veterans who have waited years for relief. legion.org/veteranshealthcare
“I struggle to think of a single person I deployed with who may not have been exposed, at some point, to toxins .... While it was our decision to raise our hands and fight our nation’s wars for those who cannot or will not, what we didn’t know was that our longlasting health issues might not even begin to show during our time in service.” American Legion Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Division Director Katie Purswell, in a March 2 press conference at the Capitol urging Congress to advance the PACT Act
10 The American Legion Annual Report 2022
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