Benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits now available

Published 8:45 am Thursday, September 23, 2021

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Davie County Veterans Services continues to counsel and assist veterans and their dependents in obtaining benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Meagan Tomlin, Davie Veterans Service Officer, said that Veterans Affairs (VA) has added three presumptive conditions related to particulate matter exposure for those veterans who served in Afghanistan, Djibouti, Syria and Uzbekistan during the Persian Gulf War, from Sept. 19, 2001 to the present or The Southwest Asia Theater of operations from Aug. 2, 1990 to the present.

These new presumptive conditions are asthma, rhinitis and sinusitis. If you have been diagnosed with one or more of these conditions and have not already filed a claim with VA, Tomlin encourages you to contact the office so she can assist you with doing so.

In addition, exposure to airborne hazards like burn pits can cause concerns to veterans and Tomlin strongly encourages veterans of this era to talk to their healthcare provider or enroll with VA Healthcare.

For more information, contact Veterans Services at 336-753-6225. The office is located at 644 N. Main St. in the Brock Building.