The first US troops deployed after the September 11 attacks are still grappling with radiation exposure from their time at a former Soviet base in Uzbekistan, which the government has yet to officially recognize 23 years later. Special operations forces were sent to Karshi-Khanabad (K2) in early October 2001 for missions against the Taliban. Despite documented uranium contamination, the 2022 PACT Act, a veterans aid bill signed by President Joe Biden, does not cover exposure at K2.
Thousands of K2 veterans have reported various cancers, kidney problems, and other conditions linked to radiation. Jon Stewart, a prominent advocate for first responders, continues to press the Biden administration for reforms. Stewart states that K2 veterans, the "first group deployed in the war on terror, are still on a lazy Susan of bureaucratic nonsense," preventing them from receiving deserved benefits. Despite site assessments revealing uranium contamination, the Department of Veterans Affairs and Defense Department have not officially acknowledged the radiation exposure at K2.
Efforts to address the issue have seen mixed progress. Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., and Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., announced new legislation to recognize K2 veterans' toxic exposure. Yet, the White House, VA, and Department of Defense simply cite ongoing studies, including a Johns Hopkins study on depleted uranium impact, set to be completed by 2031. Matt Erpelding, who leads the K2 veteran's group Stronghold Freedom Foundation, emphasizes the urgency for action, stating, "It needs to get done now." (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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