Army veteran Dan Jentik struggles with his breathing, an act that most of us take for granted every day. It's not a genetic disease, but something he contracted during his service in the military. Jentik is one of the thousands of men and women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and worked around the toxic black smoke of burn pits. These veterans are now sick or dying from the effects of toxic gas inhalation 1.

"You just constantly saw the smoke or you smelled it, pretty much everyday, all day," Jentik said of the acrid environment around the pits1.

More than 3 million service members like Jentik were likely exposed to toxic burn pits during their service overseas, yet the VA continues to deny them care by placing the burden of proof on veterans suffering from rare cancers, lung diseases, and respiratory illnesses2.

A committee of National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine researchers has denied any link between serious respiratory illness and burn pits. The NAS said more studies are necessary to definitively link respiratory illnesses in troops and veterans to their exposure to burn pits and airborne hazards while deployed in the Southwest Asia Theater3.

However, millions of suffering veterans say otherwise. The VA has set up a number of resources to confront the very issue this so-called scientific institution denies exists.

In the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs factsheet, "10 Things To Know About Burn Pits5," the VA maintains that exposure to burn pits was common among service members overseas and may have health effects.

"Toxins in burn pit smoke may affect the skin, eyes, respiratory and cardiovascular systems, gastrointestinal tract and internal organs," the VA factsheet reports.

The Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act6 will finally establish a presumptive service connection for veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxins and streamline the process for obtaining vital VA benefits. This bill has bipartisan support from members of congress, but needs your help in becoming law.

Our veterans have put their lives on the line for our country, and during that time millions of them were exposed to hazardous air pollution. It's time we recognize the full sacrifice they have made, and extend treatment benefits for the serious illnesses they may have incurred during their service.

Sign below and tell congress to pass the Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act now!

• CBS (17 August 2019), "Thousands of veterans fear "burn pits" exposed them to lethal disease."
• Kirsten Gillibrand, United States Senator for New York (15 September 2020), "U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Discusses Landmark Legislation To Help Veterans With Diseases Linked To Burn Pits And Other Toxic Exposures Obtain Benefits From VA.
• The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (11 September 2020), "New Approaches Are Needed to Determine Whether Respiratory Health Problems Are Associated With Military Deployment to the Persian Gulf Region."
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (March 2016), "10 Things To Know About Burn Pits."
• Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D., (2020), "Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act of 2020."