1.
Agent
Orange was
a herbicide and defoliant used in Vietnam
Agent Orange was a blend
of tactical herbicides the U.S. military sprayed
from 1962 to 1971 during the Vietnam War
to remove the leaves of trees
and other dense tropical
foliage
that provided enemy cover. The U.S. Department of
Defense developed tactical herbicides specifically to be used
in “combat
operations.” They were not
commercial grade herbicides
purchased from
chemical companies and
sent to Vietnam.
More than 19 million gallons
of various “rainbow” herbicide combinations were sprayed, but Agent Orange was
the
combination the U.S.
military used most often. The name “Agent Orange” came from the orange identifying stripe
used
on the 55-gallon
drums
in which it was stored.
Heavily sprayed areas included
forests near the demarcation zone, forests at
the
junction of the borders of
Cambodia, Laos, and
South Vietnam, and mangroves on the southernmost peninsula of Vietnam and
along shipping channels
southeast of Saigon.
2. Any Veteran who served anywhere in Vietnam during the war is presumed to have been exposed to
Agent Orange.
For the purposes
of VA compensation benefits, Veterans who
served anywhere in Vietnam between January 9,
1962 and
May
7, 1975 are presumed
to have been exposed
to herbicides, as specified in the Agent Orange Act of 1991.
These Veterans do not
need to show that they were exposed
to Agent Orange or other
herbicides in order to get disability compensation for diseases related
to Agent
Orange exposure.
Service in Vietnam
means
service on land in Vietnam
or on the inland waterways (“brown
water” Veterans) of Vietnam.
3. VA has linked several diseases and health
conditions
to Agent Orange exposure.
VA has
recognized
certain cancers
and other health
problems as presumptive diseases
associated with exposure to
Agent
Orange or
other herbicides during military service. Veterans
and their survivors may be eligible for compensation benefits.
· AL
Amyloidosis A rare disease caused when
an abnormal
protein, amyloid, enters and
collects tissues
or organs
·
Chronic B-cell Leukemias
A type of
cancer which affects a specific type of white
blood cell
· Chloracne (or similar acneform
disease) A skin
condition
that occurs soon after exposure to chemicals and looks like common
forms of acne seen in teenagers. Under VA’s rating
regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling
within one year
of exposure to
herbicides.
· Diabetes Mellitus
Type 2 A disease characterized by high blood sugar
levels
resulting from the body’s inability to
produce or respond properly to the hormone
insulin
· Hodgkin’s Disease A malignant
lymphoma (cancer) characterized by progressive
enlargement of
the lymph nodes,
liver,
and spleen, and by progressive anemia
·
Ischemic Heart
Disease A
disease characterized by a reduced supply of blood
to the heart,
that can
lead to chest pain (angina)
·
Multiple Myeloma A
cancer
of plasma cells,
a type of white blood
cell in bone marrow
· Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma A group of cancers
that
affect the lymph glands and
other lymphatic tissue
· Parkinson’s Disease A progressive disorder of
the nervous system that affects muscle movement
· Peripheral Neuropathy, Early-Onset A nervous
system condition that causes numbness,
tingling, and
muscle weakness. Under
VA’s rating
regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of herbicide exposure.
· Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
A disorder characterized by liver dysfunction
and
by thinning and blistering of the
skin in sun-exposed
areas. Under VA’s rating regulations, it must be at
least 10 percent disabling
within one year
of exposure to
herbicides.
·
Prostate Cancer Cancer of
the prostate; one of the most common cancers among older men
· Respiratory Cancers
(includes lung cancer) Cancers
of the lung, larynx, trachea,
and bronchus
· Soft Tissue Sarcomas (other
than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma,
Kaposi’s sarcoma, or mesothelioma)
A specific group of malignant
of cancers in body tissues such as
muscle, fat, blood and lymph vessels, and connective tissues.
4.
Veterans who want to
be
considered for disability
compensation must
file a claim.
Veterans who want
to be considered
for disability compensation
for health problems related to Agent
Orange exposure must file a claim.
During the claims
process,
VA will check military records
to confirm exposure to Agent Orange or
qualifying military service. If necessary, VA will set
up a separate exam
for compensation.
5.
VA offers health
care benefits for Veterans who may
have
been exposed to Agent
Orange
and other herbicides
during military
service.
Veterans who
served in Vietnam between January 9,
1962, and May 7, 1975, are eligible to
enroll in VA health care. Visit VA’s Health Benefits Explorer to check your eligibility and
learn how to apply.
6.
Participating
in an Agent
Orange Registry
health
exam helps
you, other Veterans and
VA.
VA’s Agent
Orange Registry health
exam alerts Veterans to possible long-term health
problems that may be related to Agent
Orange exposure during their military service. The
registry data
helps VA understand
and
respond to these health
problems more effectively.
The exam is
free to eligible Veterans and
enrollment in VA health care is not necessary.
Although the findings
of your exam may be used
to inform your
subsequent care,
they
may not be used
when applying for
compensation as a separate exam is
required.
7.
VA recognizes
and
offers support for the children of Veterans
affected by Agent
Orange
who have birth defects.
VA has
recognized
that certain birth defects
among
Veterans’ children are associated
with
Veterans’ qualifying service in
Vietnam or Korea.
· Spina bifida (except
spina bifida occulta),
a defect in
the developing fetus that results in incomplete closing of
the spine, is associated with
Veterans’ exposure to Agent
Orange or
other herbicides
during qualifying service in
Vietnam
or Korea.
·
Birth defects in
children of
women Veterans are
associated with their
military service in
Vietnam but are not related
to herbicide exposure.
The affected child
must have been conceived
after
the Veteran entered Vietnam or
the
Korean demilitarized
zone during
the qualifying service period. Learn
more
about benefits
for Veterans’ children with birth
issues. http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/benefits/children-birth-defects.asp
8.
Vietnam Veterans
are
not the only
Veterans who
may have been exposed to Agent
Orange.
Agent
Orange and other herbicides
used in Vietnam were used,
tested or stored elsewhere, including some military bases
in the United States.
Other locations/scenarios
in which Veterans were
exposed to Agent Orange may include:
·
Korean Demilitarized
Zone Exposure along the
demilitarized zone in Korea between April
1, 1968 and August 31, 1971
· Thailand
Military Bases Possible exposure on
or near the perimeters
of military bases
between February 28, 1961
and May 7, 1975
· Herbicide Tests and Storage Outside Vietnam
Possible exposure due to herbicide tests and storage at military bases
in the United States and
locations in other countries
·
Agent Orange Residue on
Airplanes Used in Vietnam
War
Possible exposure of
Air Force Reserves crew members
to herbicide residue in C-123 planes flown
after
the Vietnam War.
9. VA continues
to conduct research on the long-term health
effects of
Agent Orange in
order to
better care for all Veterans.
VA and other Federal government Departments
and agencies
have conducted,
and continue to conduct, extensive research evaluating the
health effects of Agent
Orange exposure on
U.S. Veterans.
An example is the Army Chemical Corps
Vietnam-Era Veterans Health
Study designed
to examine if
high blood pressure (hypertension) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are related to herbicide exposure during the Vietnam War. Researchers have completed
data collection
and
aim to publish initial
findings in a scientific
journal in 2015.
Learn
more
about Agent Orange related studies and their
outcomes here: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/research-studies.asp
10. VA contracts with
an independent,
non-governmental organization to review the
scientific
and medical
information
on the health effects of
Agent Orange.
VA
contracts with the Institute of Medicine
(IOM)
of the National
Academy of Sciences
every two years
to scientifically review
evidence on the long-term
health effects
of Agent Orange and
other herbicides on Vietnam
Veterans.
The IOM
uses a team of nationally
renowned subject matter experts from
around the country to gather all the scientific literature on a topic,
identify peer-reviewed
reports,
and then examine the
studies to determine
the most rigorous and
applicable studies. The
IOM looks for the highest quality studies. The
IOM then issues its
reports, including its
conclusions and
recommendations
to VA, Congress, and the public.
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