Burn Pits and their Aftermath- with Captain LeRoy Torres and Rosie Torres

I had never heard of burn pits until I was in my pulmonary fellowship at the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, but I first learned about them from my patients. I recall a young man who had a torso like Michael Phelps telling me about a burn pit where he had served and his trouble breathing. His lung function test was at the low end of normal. I just wished we had lung function tests from before his deployment, because I was quite sure at the time that this was likely a decrease for him, but we didn’t have many resources to offer.

For the podcast and post today, I interviewed two guests who lived this reality as well. I spoke to Captain Le Roy Torres and his wife Rosie Torres, the founders of of Burn Pits 360. They shared their experience and journey through its ups and downs, from Balad, Iraq to camping on the steps of the Capitol with Jon Stewart.

Army Captain Le Roy Torres served in the U.S. Army for 23 years, including active duty and reserves. He deployed to Balad, Iraq from 2007-2008 and also served the State of Texas as a State Trooper for 14 years. Torres suffers from complications from illnesses that began after he was exposed to toxic fumes during service in post-9/11 Iraq. Le Roy was subsequently diagnosed with constrictive bronchiolitis and toxic brain injury. After experiencing delay, denial of benefits, and ineffective treatment from his physicians, Le Roy alongside his wife, Rosie, founded Burn Pits 360.

His wife Rosie Torres also joined us. She worked for twenty three years for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and suffered alongside her husband as he dealt with the health issues from his deployment.

We discussed the challenges of living with illness and working for the passage of the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, aka the PACT Act, to cover healthcare benefits and disabilities related to exposure to certain specific toxins during a veteran’s military service.

I remember following that legislation with great interest based on my own concern about the veterans I have met. After initially passing in June of 2022 with wide bipartisan margins out of the Senate 84-14 and the House by a 342-88 vote, 25 GOP Senators changed their votes when a technical error required a second vote in August, blocking the bill. Obviously, opinions varied on why they did that, ranging from those accusing the Senators of retaliation for a large bill to address climate change that had passed in the interim to some other form of reconsideration. However, it led to one of the most potent forms of advocacy in our democracy, an in person protest and prolonged camp out on the steps of the US Capitol by veterans, including those on oxygen, as well as celebrities like Jon Stewart, who spoke passionately on the issue.

Listen to the episode to hear the story of what is essentially an occupational or environmental exposure that occurred through our country’s own carelessness with the lives of our citizens, and what it can be like to go through that. Most importantly, the Torres’s are just inspiring people.

Anytime I feel like I have too much on my plate, I am going to remember my conversation with them. The Torres’ so clearly articulate how challenging advocacy can be but also how rewarding it can be when people persist through the challenges, as well as the power of rooting your work in community and with those affected. The betrayal and whiplash they describe from their own government is unfortunately familiar to many who have been faced with environmental injustice. There are often entire communities that are consigned to grow up with unhealthy air, like those in historically redlined neighborhoods, as we have discussed reviewed previously at Air Health Our Health. There are struggling communities who end up drinking unsafe water, as in Flint, Michigan, afflicted with high levels of lead. In this episode, we heard about our veterans and soldiers, who have signed up to serve, often as part of a lifelong dream like Captain Torres or to make a better life for themselves, being told that their health is a sacrifice others are willing to make in the name of comfort, safety or profit. The true cost of this only begins to be estimated by bills like the PACT Act, which promises around $300 billion over the next 10 years to extend healthcare benefits from 5 years to 10 years for veterans with certain toxin exposures, as well as provide new benefits for veterans who faced radiation exposure during deployments throughout the Cold War, additional recognized health problems from the Vietnam War, and provides new recognition of health problems caused by Agent Orange for veterans who served in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Guam during the 1960s and 1970s.

Now as a taxpayer, I don’t particularly love when I hear $300 billion for this or that. However, I think it is important that we actually account for the cost of having determined it was acceptable for some people or families to suffer from breathing unhealthy air. Often those who are the most vulnerable are the ones made to suffer, compounding injustice. It cannot be that we decide that war is cheap, or pollution is cheap, because we know they are not. They are very expensive. Too many pay for unhealthy air with their lives and losing their livelihoods. It is far more economical to ensure we all breathe clean air in the first place rather than try to care for the illnesses caused by unhealthy air later.

What Can You Do?

Look up your Senator and Representative and tell them that you are someone who wants to ensure that our soldiers and veterans receive the healthcare they need both during and after their service. Ask them what they are doing about clean air for all.
November 11th is Veteran’s Day. Make sure you thank a veteran for their service.
Depending on when you read this or listen to the podcast, there may be an election coming up. Be sure to vote for those who will support strong environmental and respiratory protections for our veterans as well as all of our communities.
Go to BurnPits360.org if this issue speaks to you or you want to learn more, including seeing the resources that they have put together, like those they mention in the podcast episode.
If you work in healthcare, educate yourself about how people may be affected and be sure to ask if your patients have a history of military service.
Consider a donation to BurnPits360 to help other veterans and their families.
Please consider leaving the podcast a five star review wherever you listen to help others discover Air Health Our Health and spread the word on the importance of clean air for all!