Anger and Frustration at VA Meeting Over Uranium Exposure for K2 Veterans
Comedian Jon Stewart and troops sickened by uranium left a meeting at the Department of Veterans Affairs on Friday feeling angry and frustrated. They were once again told that they would have to wait to see if the VA would connect their illnesses to the toxic base where they were deployed shortly after 9/11.
Despite the passage of the PACT Act, a veterans aid package bill signed by President Joe Biden in 2022, which was supposed to fix denied claims, the uranium exposure issue for K2 veterans remains unresolved. The base, located in Uzbekistan, was heavily contaminated with yellow powdered uranium, exposing troops to dangerous levels of radiation.
Two decades later, many veterans who served at K2 are still fighting to get their radiation-exposure illnesses recognized by the VA. The agency’s continued delays in making a decision have left Stewart and the veterans frustrated and disappointed.
Kim Brooks, whose husband was one of the first troops to die after serving at K2, expressed her anger and sadness at the ongoing denial of care for these veterans. Despite documented evidence of uranium exposure at the base, the VA has been slow to act.
The Defense Department is now working with the VA to address the health issues of K2 veterans and find a way forward. The confusion surrounding the type of uranium present at the base has been a major obstacle in providing care to affected veterans.
More than 15,000 troops were deployed at K2 from 2001 to 2005, and many are now suffering from serious medical conditions as a result of their exposure. Former Army Staff Sgt. Mark Jackson, a K2 veteran, emphasized the importance of recognizing the exposure and providing necessary medical coverage for affected veterans.
As veterans continue to fight for recognition and care, the hope is that the VA and the Defense Department will take action to support those who served at K2 and are now suffering from radiation-related illnesses.
