THE VA BURN PIT REGISTRY IS EXPANDING TO INCLUDE VETS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER

Congress created the VA burn pit registry in 2014 to help better understand healthcare for troops affected by military burn pit toxic exposure. Now, a decade later, even more Veterans are being included. Although VA burn pit registry sign-up isn’t required, the new format will automatically include Veterans in the pursuit of better healthcare for active duty service members and those who have already served.
Who Is Eligible for the VA Burn Pit Registry?
Eligibility for the VA burn pit registry has been expanded from its original parameters. By doing so, the VA is helping increase participation and data to better understand the effects of burn pits. Originally, it was for Veterans who had served in Operations Desert Storm/Desert Shield (ODS), New Dawn (OND), or Iraqi Freedom/Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF).
Now, sign-up has expanded to even more locations throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Furthermore, the VA is encouraging Veterans who may not think they are eligible to get involved. For example, Veterans who don’t think they were exposed to hazards in the air, haven’t filed a claim, don’t have any symptoms or illnesses, and even active duty service members are encouraged to get involved.
Although the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) shut down a majority of the burn pits, military burn pit exposure continues as some are still active for the time being with plans to close them in the future.

Expanded Cancer Benefits for Veterans With Burn Pit Exposure
The Biden administration increased benefits for Veterans who had cancer that was thought to be caused by exposure to hazardous waste in burn pits. A 2022 law that expanded access to benefits and care for Veterans exposed to burn pits, the PACT Act, is being expanded by the additional step, which the White House announced recently.
For Veterans who served in the Middle East during the Gulf War and following 9/11, the new step lessens the burden of proving that certain illnesses are related to their service. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pays for their associated cancer treatment in full if they are granted disability compensation.
According to a senior official, the Biden administration projects that tens of thousands of Veterans who have been diagnosed with the recently added cancers will be eligible for compensation. The expansion had a budget of $4.5 billion during that period.
According to the government, it includes bone marrow cancers, multiple myelomas, acute and chronic leukemias, and cancers of the bladder and urinary tract and is applicable to Veterans who served starting on August 2, 1990. The DA said that Veterans should reapply if their claims for certain cancers were previously rejected.
2024 Expansion Included All Veterans from the Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan
On August 1, 2024, the VA and DoD expanded the burn pit registry and made enrollment automatic based on DoD records. Still, signing up for the VA burn pit registry is optional, but AHOBPR 2.0 helped researchers understand health problems from airborne hazards and burn pits.
Additionally, this information improved treatments, predicted health issues, and supported proactive care for Veterans in the future. Participating in the registry didn't change VA benefit. If you were already in the registry before the update, you didn't need to do anything.
Participation helped the VA provide better care to all Veterans and service members. Anyone who has served in the following capacities between August 2, 1990, and August 31, 2021, will be automatically enrolled in AHOBPR 2.0:
- Afghanistan
- Arabian Sea
- Bahrain
- Desert Shield and Desert Storm (ODS/S)
- Djibouti
- Egypt*
- Enduring Freedom (OEF)
- Gulf of Aden
- Gulf of Oman
- Iraq
- Iraqi Freedom (OIF)
- Kuwait
- New Dawn (OND)
- Oman
- Qatar
- Red Sea
- Saudi Arabia
- Somalia*
- Southwest Asia*
- Syria
- United Arab Emirates
- Uzbekistan
- Waters of the Persian Gulf
*Since August 2, 1990, the airspaces above the countries listed below and the waters mentioned below are also included for those serving after September 11, 2001:
- Afghanistan
- Arabian Sea
- Djibouti
- Gulf of Aden
- Gulf of Oman
- Jordan
- Lebanon
- Persian Gulf
- Red Sea
- Syria
- Uzbekistan
- Yemen
In sum, if you don’t want to be a part of the VA burn pit registry, simply fill out this form to opt-out.

Biden Believes His Son Beau's Cancer Came from Burn Pits
Biden has been vocal about his personal connection to the law, as he has stated that he believes that his son Beau's brain cancer stemmed from his exposure to burn pits while he served in Iraq. Beau Biden passed away at the age of 46 in 2015.
Beau Biden was sent to Iraq in 2008, where he served at Balad Air Froce Base. It has been releaved that this base had over 200 tons of waste that was burned every day, and was home to one of the country's largest burn pits.
It has been estimated that tens of thousands of Veterans that have been diagnosed with the cancers that have been added to the burn pit registry will become eligible for benefits over the next decade.
Challenges for K2 Veterans in Obtaining PACT Act Benefits
According to the VA, over a million Veterans and their survivors have benefited from disability benefits under the act in the two years after it was passed. Other Veterans, however, continued to face difficulties in obtaining coverage for their ailments.
According to the Congressional Research Service, some of these Veterans served at Karshi-Khanabad Air post, also known as K2, a former Soviet post in Uzbekistan that borders Afghanistan. Due to the base's years of Soviet control, it was tainted with a hazardous mixture of chemicals and radioactive waste. An Army study found that veterans who were stationed at the post had a 500% higher risk of getting cancer than others who had not.
Veterans organizations filed a lawsuit against the Pentagon in 2023, requesting information regarding base contamination. Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show and a supporter of the PACT Act, also returned to lobby last year to get the VA to pay for radiation-related ailments suffered by K2 Veterans.
The VA pledged last year to increase benefits for K2 Veterans with multi-symptom illness and other unexplained ailments, and the latest expansion includes the plaintiffs named in the lawsuit. According to the agency, almost 13,000 K2 Veterans are enrolled in VA health care, including over 11,800 whose ailments are related to their service.
How to Register for the VA Burn Pit Registry
Lastly, if you need help with registering with the registry, you can contact the VA’s help desk at 1 (877) 470-5947.
Additionally, compensation for burn pit disability is available, simply by filing your VA Form 21-526EZ online. Keep in mind you must finish your application within a year once you start it and applying for compensation is different than signing up for the VA burn pit registry.
Related reads:
- What Are the 23 Illnesses Covered Under the PACT Act?
- New Lawsuit Aims to Provide Tax-Free Status for Burn Pit Veterans
Sources:
VA Airborne Hazards..., VA. Accessed August 2024. https://www.publichealth.va.gov/docs/exposures/AHOBPR_QuickReferenceSheet_Final_508.pdf Airborne Hazards and Burn Pit Exposures, VA Public Health. Accessed August 2024.
https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/burnpits/index.asp Redesigned Airborne Hazards..., VA Public Health. Accessed August 2024. https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/burnpits/registry.asp
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