Environmental Exposures in Military Service — Appreciating Their Sacrifice

5-14-2025

By Dr. Howard Friedman MD | Veteran | U.S. Army Medical Corps | Internal Medicine | HHOM LLC

Worn in silence, the uniform carries more than duty—it bears the weight of exposures long denied. From Agent Orange to burn pits, our veterans have faced invisible enemies that linger long after the war.”

The air was thick with more than sand,

Invisible wounds etched by unseen hands.

Toxins burned where silence grew,

Long after war, the damage knew.

Not all scars are seen on skin—

Some battles echo deep within.

---Dr. Howard Friedman MD

Military service is a solemn calling—one built on loyalty, duty, and sacrifice. Yet with that sacrifice often come consequences that aren't always visible to the eye. While we easily recognize battlefield wounds, the hidden injuries—particularly those from environmental exposures—can be just as devastating. These injuries can unfold slowly, insidiously, over months or years, often long after the uniform is hung up.

Today, I want to speak broadly about environmental exposures during military service. I am not aiming to list every toxin or condition—doing so would fill volumes. Instead, I want to shed light on the larger truth: how toxic exposures trigger illness, how these consequences unfold differently in each individual, and why we must always, without hesitation, fight for our veterans’ earned benefits.

First, understand this: toxins act as inflammatory triggers. When a veteran is exposed to a chemical, pollutant, or radiation, it stokes internal inflammation. How that inflammation manifests depends on two key factors: their unique genetic makeup and their lived experiences. No two people have the exact same biology, the exact same exposures, or the exact same outcomes. Yet patterns emerge—especially in the immune system's response.

Categories of Environmental Exposure in Military Service:

1. Chemical Exposures: Agent Orange stands out as the most infamous example. Linked now to at least 18 presumptive conditions—including multiple cancers, coronary artery disease, and type 2 diabetes—Agent Orange injuries began bubbling to public awareness in 1977. The VA, at first, tried to deny these connections. It took determined veterans and advocates decades of hard-fought battles to secure recognition, and even today, more conditions are being added. Another chemical tragedy: Camp Lejeune water contamination, now associated with a variety of cancers and the subject of widespread litigation.

2. Radiation Exposure: Service members involved with nuclear weapons testing, cleanup operations, or even those exposed to depleted uranium in more recent conflicts carry elevated risks. Radiation is an insidious enemy—one that damages DNA directly, laying the groundwork for cancer and systemic disease years down the line.

3. Pollutant Exposure: The era of open-air Burn Pits brought new hazards. Unlike Agent Orange, the toxic soup of burn pit exposure spans an even larger list of associated illnesses. Today, burn pit exposure is linked to cancers, respiratory diseases, and immune dysfunctions, to name just a few. And we are only beginning to grasp its full impact.

4. Occupational Toxins:Some exposures were tied directly to a veteran's assigned duties—aviators exposed to jet fuel, mechanics exposed to organic solvents like benzene and methyl ethyl ketones, sailors working around volatile compounds. Many of these substances are known carcinogens or disruptors of the immune and nervous systems.

5. Gulf War Illness:Perhaps the most frustrating and mysterious category. No single toxin has been definitively identified, but we see the constellation of illness clearly: chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, coronary artery disease, cancers, neurological symptoms like memory loss, concentration difficulties, and sleep disorders. Gulf War veterans suffer in large numbers—without always receiving clear answers.

The Truth We Must Never Forget:Every one of these exposures tells a story—not just of injury, but of loyalty. Our service members stepped forward to protect us. In doing so, they absorbed risks few civilians could imagine. They bore wounds of the body, mind, and spirit. They carried environmental scars invisible to the eye but undeniable to the soul.

At HHOM LLC, we never lose sight of that truth. Our mission is simple: to ensure that veterans receive the benefits they fought for—and richly deserve. Whether it’s recognizing an environmental exposure, documenting its consequences, or standing alongside a veteran in the long battle for recognition, we are here. Always.

Our veterans answered the call of duty. Now it’s our duty to answer theirs.

—Dr. Howard Friedman MD

Board-Certified | Internal Medicine | Veteran | U.S. Army Medical Corps

Founder of Howard’s House of Medicine (HHOM LLC)

https://www.hhomllc.com

Q: Why do environmental exposures during military service take so long to be recognized by the VA?

A: Environmental illnesses often present years—even decades—after service. Unlike visible injuries, exposures affect systems slowly, and symptoms can mimic other conditions. The VA requires strong evidence linking service to illness, and that science evolves over time. It took decades for Agent Orange and burn pit illnesses to be acknowledged. Recognition often comes only after prolonged advocacy, medical research, and legal pressure.

Q: How do toxins like Agent Orange and burn pit smoke cause illness?

Q: What should a veteran do if they suspect their illness is tied to environmental exposure?