As Washington refocuses on the issue of burn pits—waste fires used extensively in Afghanistan and Iraq which emitted toxic smoke that later sickened troops—Military Times is republishing our early stories to help show what work still needs to be done.
Since November, VA officials have screened more than 1 million veterans for health issues related to things like burn pit smoke and chemical contamination.
Kelly Kennedy, War Horse managing editor, was the first reporter to cover burn pits and the resulting illnesses in service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Republicans have accused Democrats of making new changes to complicate the sweeping veterans policy measure, but the budget issues they cite have been in the bill for months.