With the passage of the PACT Act in 2022, attention focused on the effects of airborne hazards and toxins on the health of military service members. Research continues on the short- and long-term medical impact of these exposures through the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry. 

Now, the Registry is also easier for affected service members to use, according to a recent Tricare press release.

What is the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry?

The Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry (AHOBPR 2.0) is also known as the Burn Pit Research Registry. The registry gathers and secures medical information about military service members exposed to airborne hazards and burn pits during their military service. Researchers can access this data to better understand, diagnose, and treat various medical conditions linked to airborne hazards and burn pit exposure. 

The registry was created in 2014 to gather information and support clinical research into treatment for veterans exposed to various toxic substances. The redesign seeks to make it easier for veterans and service members to participate – or to opt-out if they choose. It also broadened the participation criteria, creating a larger pool of data to better help researchers understand, diagnose, and treat burn pit-related illnesses. 

In August 2024, the VA and the Department of Defense (DoD) launched several updates to the Registry. These include:

• Broader participation criteria. Both living and deceased veterans and service members are eligible for inclusion in the database if they served in many different places in the Middle East or Africa between 1990 and 2021. The VA offers a complete list of operations, campaigns, locations, and dates on its website. Service members do not have to have suffered exposure to specific hazards or have any related health concerns to be included. 
• Automatic enrollment procedures based on DoD records. Between 2014 and the 2024 update, the VA interviewed veterans and learned that many wanted to participate in the registry but did not because the work of opting in was too difficult. To address this issue, the DoD made enrollment in the registry automatic for anyone whose service record met the participation criteria. Today, veterans are automatically enrolled if their service record includes deployment to an eligible theater of operation, location, and specific timeframe. To find out your status, speak to your local Environmental Health Coordinator. You can request a review if you want to be listed, but you are not included in the registry. If you were enrolled before the registry was re-designed, you’re still enrolled.
• Clear opt-out procedures. For various reasons, some veterans do not wish to be included in the Registry. Opting out now requires veterans to fill out a single online form. Opting out does not affect whether you receive VA health services or service-related benefits. The VA will continue to communicate with you about your health needs and benefits, including any new treatments that may benefit you. 

The Importance of the Registry

Veterans have been exposed to airborne hazards from burn pits and other sources for decades. However, for much of that time, little was known about the dangers of these exposures. Doctors and clinical researchers also knew little or nothing about the long-term effects of exposure.

The Registry seeks to change this situation. By creating a single source of data directly from veterans, the Registry provides essential information to clinical researchers. 

The Registry currently includes information on veterans exposed to a variety of airborne hazards. These include smoke and fumes from burn pits, sand and dust in the air, fuel or machine exhaust fumes, smoke from oil well fires, and the background air pollution common in some countries.

Researchers plan to use the Registry’s information to understand better several health issues related to burn pits and other forms of toxic exposure. For instance, researchers may examine:

• The effects of different types of hazards, like exposure to burn pits versus exposure to sand and dust inhalation,
• The effects of proximity to burn pits and the types of waste burned in them,
• Whether multiple exposures – for instance, to both burn pits and burning oil wells – affect health and if so, in what ways
• How to treat various conditions linked to these airborne hazard exposures. 

The research will likely result in medical care that helps both veterans and civilians who experience medical conditions linked to airborne hazards. 

What to Do If You’re Fighting for Benefits

The PACT Act expanded benefits for many veterans whose military service included exposure to airborne hazards. If you’re seeking benefits, talk to an experienced Tampa veterans’ benefits attorney. The team at the law office of David W. Magann, P.A. can help.