#burnpits

[liberalsarecool]

What a classless wimp, a true enemy of veterans. #TedCruz

[benlowy]

The Monster than Followed Him Home from War. Le Roy Torres came home from his deployment in Iraq with a sickness he could neither explain nor shake: crushing headaches, fogs of vertigo, an increasingly harsh cough. It took years of tests to prove what Mr. Torres suspected: His lungs and brain were damaged from exposure to military burn pits. Burn pits were a standard garbage disposal method used by the U.S. military during the early years of the post-9/11 conflicts; their aftereffects are still emerging. Mr. Torres, a TX State Trooper couldn’t patrol anymore but says he nevertheless fought to keep his job, submitting a list of duties he could still handle. His bosses, he said, insisted he patrol and suggested that if he couldn’t do the job, he should resign. He handed over his badge and gun and later sued the Texas Department of Public Safety, saying he was discriminated against for his military service. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear some of this story on March 29, when justices consider whether Mr. Torres can sue a state government under federal laws shielding troops and veterans from job discrimination and retaliation From a story for the @nytimes from @leslie.delavega #reportage #portrait #soldier #veteran #burnpits @sonyalpha https://www.instagram.com/p/CbtYZJ5M459/?utm_medium=tumblr

[treatnow]

TreatNOW End-of-2025 Update

Failing to treat brain wounds can lead to degraded lives, escalating healthcare costs, depression, and suicide. Images of successes and the history of service member suicides and effects of negligence can be found here.

Press Release: Washington, DC  7 January 2026

BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT: DoD and the VA should immediately treat brain-wounded Service Members with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and other proven alternative therapies to stop the suicide and opioid overdose epidemics and bolster readiness imperiled by untreated brain wounds. The evidence of safety and efficacy is backed by over 28 clinical trials. Oversight of Veteran suicides seems to be left to family members, friends, some not-for-profits, and the media since Congress, the VA and DoD allow the carnage to continue.

1. TreatNOW has escalated Congressional legislative progress in 2025. Senate members have joined House members on pushing for the use of Hyperbaric Oxygenation to treat and heal brain injuries. Active Bills being considered are:

*H. R. 1336. Veterans National Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment Act. Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC) (for himself, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia, Ms. Strickland, Mr. Wittman, Ms. Malliotakis, Ms. Ross, Mr. Van Orden, and Mr. Biggs of Arizona) introduced February 13, 2025. It was voted out of the full Veterans Affairs Committee and sent to the floor for a House vote. It directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a pilot program to furnish hyperbaric oxygen therapy to a veteran who has a traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder.

*S.2737 - Veterans National Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment Act. Senator Tuberville (R-AL) Introduced in Senate (09/09/2025)  It would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to implement a pilot program to furnish hyperbaric oxygen therapy to certain veterans through community care providers, and for other purposes.

*S.862 - HBOT Access Act of 2025. Senator Tuberville (R-AL) Introduced in Senate (09/09/2025) It would amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish hyperbaric oxygen therapy to certain veterans with traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder.

*S.3130 - Veterans TBI Adaptive Care Opportunities Nationwide Act of 2025. Senators McCormick (R-PA) and Rosen (D-NV) introduced on November 6, 2025 a Bill instructing that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish a grant program (to be known as the “TBI Innovation Grant Program”) to award grants to eligible entities for the development, implementation, and evaluation of approaches and methodologies for prospective randomized control trials for neurorehabilitation treatments for the treatment of chronic mild TBI (in this section referred to “mTBI”) in veterans. The emphasis shall be on designing and testing novel or integrative treatments for mTBI that prioritize patient-centered care, including non-pharmacological therapies.

*H. R. 72. TBI and PTSD Treatment Act. Mr. Biggs of Arizona (for himself, Mr. Crane, and Mr. Gosar) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. The Bill would amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish hyperbaric oxygen therapy to veterans with traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder.

TreatNOW is calling for the following revisions and additions in all Bills that would call for revision of safety provisions and establish immediate funding of treatments of eligible Veterans while conducting research.

- Incorporation of the recommendations in CBO Cost Estimate Report, June 11, 2025. CBO estimates that roughly 6,000 veterans would participate in the program at an average cost of $27,000 for a course of 40 treatments. The bill would establish a fund to accept donations for the program; however, CBO anticipates that contributions would be minimal and would not significantly offset the costs of the program. In total, CBO estimates that the temporary program would cost $158 million over the three-year period. - Validation of “pay-fors” that would use already appropriated funds from Suicide Prevention set-asides and the use of MIPRs to move money into Community Care providers to pay for HBOT Invoices from hyperbaric treatment facilities treating service members. - We are in general support of these amendments proposed relative to safety: - Strengthen Regulatory Enforcement: Halt imports of unapproved pressure vessels and oxygen concentrators and investigate foreign distributors evading FDA oversight.  - Support compliance with ASME, NFPA, and FDA standards for all hyperbaric equipment. - Support Ethical and independent Research: Ensure studies are IRB-approved, transparent, and designed to produce publishable, peer-reviewed data. - Educate Stakeholders: Collaborate with manufacturers, HBOT associations, facilities, the ACHM, IHMF, AHI, IBUM and other foundations to educate veterans, providers, and the public about safe HBOT practices.  - NOTE: cf. American College of Hyperbaric Medicine (ACHM) Safety CAQ for definitive standards for Safety and Operations of HBOT facilities. - Ensure the VA informs Veterans about the availability of HBOT for TBI/PTSD as one of the treatments available to them. Lack of informed consent prevents Veterans from knowing about HBOT as a safe and effective treatment. This is equally true for Diabetic Foot Ulcers, an approved and insured Indication.

2.    For the last decade, TEN states have passed legislation calling for HBOT for TBI and/or PTSD: OK, TX, IN, AZ, KY, FL, NC, WY, MD, and VA. In 2025, THREE more states passed similar legislation: North Dakota (HCR 3011), Tennessee (HJR 0001), and Missouri (HB 262 spear headed by USAF Veteran Dale Lutzen)

3.    We have been helping craft legislation in TWELVE (12) additional states with anticipated action in 2026: Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Michigan, Indiana (funding), New Jersey, Ohio, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma (funding), and Texas (funding) are active with HBOT legislation anticipated in 2026.

4.    SAFETY has been a major focus in 2025 due to the two deaths attributed to negligence leading to fires in Michigan and Arizona. In both cases, the accidents were preventable if proper safety procedures had been followed. Though no official reports have been published, Team member Tom Fox has issued an in-depth analysis based on his on-the-ground reporting sponsored by Shannon Kenitz of AHI and others.

5.    The American College of Hyperbaric Medicine has prepared a set of up-to-date Safety Documents that incorporate an independent, objective, scientific compendium of the best safety procedures followed worldwide. The ACHM has already begun initial accreditation and certification procedures for its members and is available for any clinic seeking the imprimatur of the ACHM.

6.    Once again, Veterans Service Organizations like the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Air Force Sergeants Association, Green Beret Foundation, and others have used language to Congress calling for the use of HBOT to help stop the service member suicide epidemic.

7.    We continued working relationships with the Wounded Warrior BATTALION/EAST at Camp Lejeune to treat brain wounded Marines before they are medically retired from service. To date, over two dozen Marines have participated and have shown significant medical success. We have been as successful with dozens of Special Operations Warriors on active duty: SEALs, Force Recon, EOD, Special Forces, Air Force FACs, and Rangers. Most have been able to stay on active duty, saving millions of dollars for each successful treatment. Importantly, SpecOps Warriors report the end of suicidal ideation, though many report suicidal ideation when they come to us. And we can’t forget the organizations that are donating to those treatments: Marines Helping Heroes Foundation and the Anne Arundel County Detachment of the MARINE CORPS LEAGUE; America’s Mighty Warriors; Grunt Style; the HOW Foundation; the 22Project; Stand for the Troops; the HUGS Project; KOTERRA; the Martin R. Hoffmann Fund; and the many Foundations affiliated with the 170+ TreatNOW Coalition clinics across the U.S.

8.    The University of South Florida in Tampa, led by HBOT expert and TreatNOW Team member Dr. Joseph diTuri, kicked off an RCT using HBOT for Veterans with TBI/PTSD. Using $28 Million provided by the Florida legislature, the goal of this blinded, adaptive, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial is to investigate the use of hyperbaric oxygen as a therapy to treat mild to moderate traumatic brain injury/concussion in Veterans and active-duty service military. For more information about this clinical trial, you can contact USF via email at: [email protected] or call at [phone].

9.    TreatNOW published 30 BLOGs in 2025 on topics as diverse as Suicide Prevention to a Letter to SEC VA Doug Collins with suggestions on how to immediately reverse the Suicide Epidemic.

10. TreatNOW Coalition HBOT clinics now total over 172. Since 2010, the Coalition has helped heal over 33,000 patients, among them over 12,500 Veterans, including over 750 Special Operators.

11. We have been tracking servicemember suicide numbers for over a decade. Since 9/11 we have lost an estimated 159,000 service members to suicide . Over the last decade, suicide prevention programs have cost taxpayers billions of dollars. And the suicide rate is increasing while the standard of care is piecemeal and episodic. We developed this chart to make the numbers come to life.

12.          Kentucky (5th state to legislate) expanded its statewide network of treatment hospital Wound Care Centers to five with four additional planned in 2026 with support of the $1.5 million in state treatment funds. Hospitals under contract to use their HBOT facilities to treat TBI is a first, thanks to the efforts of TreatNOW’s State Legislative director, Eric Koleda.

13.         A neuroscience team at the University of Pittsburgh, led by Drs. Pravat Mandal, PhD and neurosurgeon Joseph Maroon, MD, using magnetic resonance spectroscopy, have demonstrated and published a deficiency of glutathione (GSH), the main antioxidant in the brain, in patients with Alzheimer's (AD) and Parkinson’s (PD). This supports oxidative stress as the progenitor in AD, PD and also, they believe, in traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES) from repetitive hits to the head. Supported by a grant from the Chuck Noll Foundation, they are enrolling former NFL players, Navy SEALs, Army Rangers and SWCC operators in an IRB approved study to scan non-invasively for glutathione deficiency and also assesses memory, neurocognition and the microbiome. If deficient in GSH as anticipated, participants will receive for the first time an oral over the counter supplement, gamma glutamyl cysteine (glyteine) for one year and then be re-evaluated with MRS and cognitive studies for improvement. This is a first in kind study.

14.         In 2025, Aviv Clinics in central Florida expanded its partnership with KOTERRA, a nonprofit dedicated to healing Veterans with brain injuries and related conditions. Through this collaboration, we were able to provide our three-month medical program at no charge to two Veterans in need, with the shared goal of serving many more in the future. Our commitment is to serving complex neurological conditions. AVIV is an independent clinic that primarily treats off-label conditions like TBI, PTSD, stroke, and long COVID.

15.         As part of building momentum, TreatNOW is encouraging all clinics to become Preferred Providers to their local VA so that they can be eligible for repayments on both on-label use of HBOT, and for hoped-for VA payment of Invoices for TBI/PTSD.

NEWS and MEDIA - Boy 5 dies in HBOT chamber fire at Michigan medical facility. And an HBOT clinic owner died in a chamber fire in Lake Havasu City, AZ. Both fires were due to negligence and safety violations. HBOT is one of the safest devices approved by the FDA for Indications like wound healing, burns, and diabetic foot ulcers. - Owing to legislation passed in Kentucky, hospital-based HBOT is now available for Veterans. the Jennie Stuart Medical Center is offering HBOT for TBI Veterans around Ft Campbell, Kentucky. For more information, call the JSH Wound Healing Center at 270- 886-6412 or HBOT4KYVETS at 502-938-1300. - Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed a law establishing funding support to study and potentially expand HBOT access for veterans with PTSD and brain injuries, reflecting growing state interest in alternative veteran therapies. - In August 2025 the FDA issued a letter to health care providers urging safe use of HBOT devices and adherence to manufacturer instructions following reports of serious injuries and deaths tied to HBOT chamber fire. - September 30, 2025 The Philadelphia Flyers and NexGen Hyperbaric (“NexGen”), a leader in hyperbaric oxygen therapy (“HBOT”), today announced a partnership extension for the 2025–26 season. - CBS Sunday Morning aired a program on HBOT: Over 300 victims with at least PTSD from the October 7th Israeli attack are being treated with HBOT.

16.         Nov 7, 2025 Dr Paul Harch and John Salcedo Documentary, Undeniable Evidence: Clean Medicine, Dirty Politics: The Hyperbaric Institute released an award-winning documentary which asserts that the VA’s lack of coverage for HBOT contributes to veteran suicide rates — and calls for congressional review and legislative action.

[asbestosawarenessondeck]

Burn Pits, Radiation, and Thyroid Cancer: VA Support for Veterans

Thyroid cancer rates among veterans have nearly doubled in recent years. Research links this rise to toxic exposures like burn pits and ionizing radiation during service.

The VA now recognizes thyroid cancer as a presumptive condition under the PACT Act for veterans exposed to burn pits, and for those involved in radiation-risk activities including duty on nuclear-powered ships and submarines.

That means eligible veterans don’t have to prove a direct connection between their cancer and service to receive VA disability benefits.

Veterans actively receiving treatment are granted a temporary 100% VA disability rating, which is reassessed after treatment ends. Those exposed to asbestos on ships or submarines may also face combined risks from multiple toxic sources.

If you or a loved one served in a qualifying location and were later diagnosed with thyroid cancer, you may qualify for VA compensation.

📖 Read the full article to learn how the VA supports veterans with thyroid cancer and how to apply for benefits.

Thyroid Cancer and Military Toxic Exposure: What You Should Know | Asbestos Ships

Medical research has increasingly shown that military toxic exposure can be a significant factor in veterans developing thyroid cancer after

[treatnow]

How Hyperbaric Oxygenation is Restoring Brains damaged by AHI, Burn Pits, BLAST/TBI/PTSD/Concussion

"You cannot fix what you will not face."  James Baldwin A burst of energy, spurred by continuing scientific evidence, clinical results, and state legislative actions, have energized the BLAST/TBI/PTSD/Concussion/AHI communities. In January, 2024, Senators Warren, Tillis, and Ernst sent a letter to SECDEF seeking answers to a dozen questions related to the crisis of Blast injury. On April 11, 2024, 14 bipartisan Senators (8-D; 5-R; 1-I) introduced the "Blast Overpressure Safety Act." It is a bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to clarify roles and responsibilities within the Department of Defense relating to subconcussive and concussive brain injuries and to improve brain health initiatives of the Department of Defense, and for other purposes. Importantly, it establishes two comprehensive initiatives for brain health: the ‘Warfighter Brain Health Initiative’ and the SPECIAL OPERATIONS BRAIN HEALTH AND TRAUMA PROGRAM. The goal of each is unifying efforts and programs across the Department of Defense to improve the cognitive performance and brain health of members of the Armed Forces. **A senior member of the Senate is holding additional hearings to seek answers to a question with few answers from responsible parties in DoD: What more can be done to treat and help heal debilitating symptoms allegedly caused by Anomalous Health Incidents (AHI, aka Havana Syndrome). **In May, 24 members of Congress sent a letter to the Comptroller General of the GAO requesting "a Government Accountability Office (GAO) review of DoD efforts to identify, prevent, and treat traumatic brains injuries related to service members’ exposure to blast overpressure." The GAO's response in June said they will commence their research within four months. **Meanwhile, the TreatNOW Coalition continues to use Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to treat symptoms of TBI/PTSD/Blast/AHI with continuing success. - Marines and other victims of BLAST related to widely-reported stories our of Syria and IRAQ continue to receive HBOT therapy, with life-altering success. - Burn Pit victims continue to be successfully treated with HBOT for the myriad of polytraumas resulting from combat in war zones infected by Burn Pit toxins. - AHI victims have begun receiving pro bono treatment with HBOT across the country. Three have completed treatment with enormous success. **Unfortunately, neither the DoD, the VA, State, nor the IC have seen their way clear to provide immediate treatment to the hundreds of thousands of brain-wounded victims of attacks, blasts, combat, training, or accidents. The NICoE continues with a standard of care that is far short of what badly treated brain wounded can receive outside their confines of drug and talk therapy mated to palliative care. Over 150 private HBOT clinics and 1,200 hospitals across the country administer HBOT medicine where the DoD and VA cannot and will not. Ironically, certain parts of the USG will allow donations and the patriotic pro bono efforts of private HBOT clinics to do the job that military medicine refuses to permit: healing brain wounds. **The states of Kentucky and Virginia have added additional funds to their initial legislation in the last two years calling for the use of HBOT for TBI/PTSD/Blast at the state level. Information on the Kentucky program can be found here. The HOW Foundation and the Extivita Clinic in Durham, NC can provide more information on Virginia and North Carolina programs. **Researchers at the University of South Florida in Tampa received $28M for a clinical trial to replicate data from 21 other clinical trials pointing to the safety and effectiveness of HBOT on individuals with symptoms after a traumatic brain injury (TBI) with or without symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). **And Dr. Alison Bested at NOVA Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale continues her second clinical trial demonstrating how HBOT used for TBI/PTSD helps heal and virtually eliminate suicidal ideation. Her results continue to show consistent and long-lasting efficacy. The validity of using HBOT for wound healing to the brain is validated in the most recent research. Unsurprisingly, delivering oxygen under pressure safely and economically leads to effective wound healing. And numerous other interventions for comorbid maladies have a much better chance of effectiveness when the concussion cascade is interrupted and reversed. ****************************** The TreatNOW Mission is ending service member suicides. Along the way, we have learned that we can end suicidal ideation, help end symptoms of PTSD, get patients off most of their drugs, and heal brain wounds to end the effects of BLAST injury, mild TBI Persistent Post Concussive Syndrome, and polytrauma from AHI and Burn Pits. www.treatnow.org Heal Brains. Stop Suicides. Restore Lives. TreatNOW Information provided by TreatNOW.org does not constitute a medical recommendation. It is intended for informational purposes only, and no claims, either real or implied, are being made. Read the full article

[robinthomas]

No excuses…Pass this bill!! #burnpits https://www.instagram.com/p/CguX-nypTN0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[nerdsworld]

How the CDC Betrayed Victims of Agent Orange

Twisting Science to Deny Benefits

I remember them denying this until they couldn't anymore.

Just like the contaminated water on the Marine Base in North Carolina.

Find out if you can get VA disability pay and other benefits for illnesses related to Camp Lejeune water contamination. Learn how to file Ca

As well as the 'burn pits' and "anthrax vaccine' of Desert Shield/Desert Storm/Gulf War I and II.

Anthrax Vaccine: Five Things You Need To Know About The Leaked Army Memo

The Army memo about the bad batches of the Anthrax Vaccine circulating the web over the past week caused a great deal of confusion. Myself a

Thursday July 29,2021

L.George