Burn Pits
I am experiencing symptoms that I believe are related to exposure to burn pits. What should I do?
If you are experiencing any urgent symptoms, such as difficulty breathing or chest pains, you should go to the nearest emergency room, call 911, or contact your primary care manager for instructions.
Veterans:Medical professionals in military exposures and health care benefits are available at VA medical centers. Veterans who are already enrolled in VA health care should talk to their primary care provider or Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) to schedule an appointment for a medical evaluation. Veterans who are not already enrolled should contact an Environmental Health Coordinator at the nearest VA medical center. Find the nearest Environmental Health Coordinator by visiting the following link:http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/coordinators.asp
Active Duty (Active Duty Service members, including activated Reserve and Guard personnel):If you have any health or exposure concerns, you may contact your local military hospital or clinic to schedule an appointment for a voluntary medical evaluation. You should state that you are calling for an appointment specifically to address “health concerns related to the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry exposures.” DoD will provide you with a voluntary medical evaluation upon request. Please note a medical evaluation is NOT required to be in the registry.
Reserve Component members (Army and Air National Guard, and Reserve):Whether discharged or still serving, these individuals will be managed by the VA in the same manner as other Veterans. The VA will provide a voluntary medical evaluation upon request. If you are a Veteran or inactive/separated National Guard or Reservist, and you are enrolled in the VA Health Care System, you should contact your primary care physician or Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) to schedule an appointment for a medical evaluation. If you are a Veteran or inactive/separated National Guard or Reservist, are not enrolled in the VA Health Care System and would like to schedule an initial no-cost medical evaluation, please contact a VA Environmental Health Coordinator (EHC) in your area by visiting this link:http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/coordinators.asp
Need more help with the Registry?
Instructions are available if you need assistance with the questionnaire. Please visit:http://mobilehealth.va.gov/app/burn-pit-registry
For technical support, call the Registry Help Desk 8:00am-8:00pm Eastern Time 1-877-470-5947. The help desk can assist with any technical issue you may be having with this application.
How do I participate in the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry?
Visit the following link:https://veteran.mobilehealth.va.gov/AHBurnPitRegistry/
You will be required to enter your DS Logon information to access the registry. If you do not have DS Logon information, or forgot your information, please visit the following link to obtain DS Logon information: https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/appj/dsaccess
Once you have DS Logon information, you may login in and complete the registry.
If you are a Veteran and you have completed the registry, you may choose to schedule an initial no-cost in-person medical evaluation.
If you are registered in the VA Health Care System, please contact your primary health care provider or your Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) to schedule a medical evaluation.
If you are not registered in the VA Health Care System, please contact an Environmental Health Coordinator near you. You may find a list of Environmental Health Coordinators at the following link by state:http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/coordinators.asp
Active Duty (Active Duty Servicemembers, including activated Reserve and Guard personnel): If you have any non-urgent health or exposure concerns, you may contact your local military hospital or clinic to schedule an appointment for a voluntary medical evaluation. You should state that you are calling for an appointment specifically to address “health concerns related to the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry exposures.” DoD will provide you with a voluntary medical evaluation upon request. Please note a medical evaluation is NOT required to be in the registry.
Reserve Component members (Army and Air National Guard, and Reserve): Whether discharged or still serving, you are eligible for a no-cost Veterans Health Administration (VHA) health care evaluation, just like other Veterans. If you are a Veteran or inactive/separated National Guard or Reservist, are not registered in the VA Health Care System and would like to schedule a no-cost medical evaluation, please contact a VA Environmental Health Coordinator in your area by visiting this link:http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/coordinators.asp
Why should I participate?
Veterans and Servicemembers should participate in the registry to become more aware of their health, to receive information about ongoing health studies and VA services, and to create a “snaphot” of their health to assist discussing their health concerns with a health care provider. Veteran participants are also eligible for a no-cost Veterans Health Administration medical evaluation. In addition, other benefits include helping VA learn more about the health effects of exposure to burn pits and other airborne hazards. By participating, Veterans are helping VA to monitor certain diseases and health conditions.
Am I eligible to participate?
VA will use deployment data provided by the Department of Defense (DoD) to determine your eligibility. To be eligible, you must be a Veteran or Servicemember who deployed to contingency operations in the Southwest Asia theater of operations at any time on or after August 2, 1990 (as defined in 38 CFR 3.317(e)(2)) or Afghanistan or Djibouti on or after September 11, 2001. These regions include the following countries, bodies of water, and the airspace above these locations:
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
- Kuwait
- Saudi Arabia
- Bahrain
- Djibouti
- Gulf of Aden
- GulfOman
- Oman
- Qatar
- United Arab Emirates
- Waters of the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, and Red Sea
The registry says I do not have any eligible deployments but I have deployed to locations that are listed as eligible. How can I correct this?
Eligibility to participate is determined in accordance with Public Law 112-260, as described in the Federal Register Notice (https://federalregister.gov/a/2014-14881). At this time, the records used to determine your eligibility indicate you have not had a qualifying deployment to theSouthwest Asia theater, Djibouti or Afghanistan.
This may be a result of missing or inaccurate data in DoD’s deployment database which is being used to determine which Service members and Veterans can complete the registry questionnaire. We apologize for any inconvenience. VA is working with the Department of Defense to resolve this issue as soon as possible and to ensure that all eligible Servicemembers and Veterans are able to register.
May I be seen by a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) or Department of Defense (DoD) health care provider?
If you are experiencing any urgent symptoms, such as difficulty breathing or chest pains, you should go to the nearest emergency room, call 911, or contact your primary care manager for instructions.
Veteranswho are enrolled in VA health care and are seeking medical evaluations should contact their primary health care provider or Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT). Veterans not enrolled in VA health care should contact a VA Environmental Health Coordinator near them by visiting the following link:http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/coordinators.asp
Active Duty (Active Duty Servicemembers, including activated Reserve and Guard personnel):If you have any non-urgent health or exposure concerns, you may contact your local military hospital or clinic to schedule an appointment for a voluntary medical evaluation. You should state that you are calling for an appointment specifically to address “health concerns related to the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry exposures.” DoD will provide you with a voluntary medical evaluation upon request. Please note a medical evaluation is NOT required to be in the registry.
Reserve Component members (Army and Air National Guard, and Reserve):Whether discharged or still serving, you are eligible for a no-cost VHA health care evaluation, just like other Veterans. If you are a Veteran or inactive/separated National Guard or Reservist, are not enrolled in the VA Health Care System and would like to schedule a no-cost medical evaluation, please contact a VA Environmental Health Coordinator in your area by visiting this link: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/coordinators.asp
Will my health care team be able to access my completed questionnaire on their computers?
For Veterans, VA providers will be able to access your completed questionnaire. VA is working to enable DoD providers access to Servicemembers’ completed questionnaires through the DoD Electronic Health Record.
What internet browsers and operating systems can I use?
- Andriod 2.3+
- Google Chrome 17+
- Internet Explorer 9+
- Mozilla Firefox 12+
- Safari 5+
- Safari iOS 5+
Can I print or email a copy of my questionnaire?
Yes, everyone who completes the self-assessment questionnaire will have the opportunity to print a copy of their completed questionnaire as long as individuals have printer capability.
What is a DS Logon?
You must have or create a DS Logon before beginning the registry. Obtaining a DS Logon can be accomplished at the following link: https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/appj/dsaccess
What if I am not sure if I have a DS Logon, or I have one but have forgotten my login information?
You can try to login by selecting “DS Logon Sign in” on the registry homepage:https://veteran.mobilehealth.va.gov/AHBurnPitRegistry/.
If you have forgotten your login information you can click “Need a DS Logon.” You can also call the DMDCSupportCenter at 1-800-477-8227 (select option 2, and then select option 2 again) to receive account assistance.
I'm having trouble reading the text on the site. Can I make the text larger?
To increase the text size on your Internet browser, follow these steps:
Internet Explorer:
- Open Internet Explorer
- On the View menu, click Text Size, then select Largest
- Internet Explorer for Mac:
- Open Internet Explorer
- On the View menu, select Text Zoom, then click the zoom level you would prefer
- Firefox:
- Open Firefox
- On the View menu, click Text Size, and then select Increase
- Safari:
- Open Safari
- On the View menu, click Make Text Bigger
- AOL Browser:
- Open the AOL browser
- On the Safety menu, click Settings (you can also click the Settings button on the standard toolbar)
- Under the letter F, click Font and Text
- In the Text Settings area, click Largest, or select a custom text size from the Font Settings pull-down
- Click “Save”
When I visited the registry website, I saw a message that said "Maintenance In Progress" Why was the site not available?
We periodically perform maintenance and install updates on the website. We make every effort to get the site back up and running as quickly as possible.
For technical support, Registry Help Desk 8:00am-8:00pm Eastern Time 1-877-470-5947. The help desk can assist with any technical issue you may be having with this application.
When I add personal information into the registry, will other people see my answers?
Your information will be saved and reviewed by VA for authorized purposes.
You are responsible for protecting your personal information you print out or download. It is important to protect your information. Protect this information the same way you would protect your banking or credit card information. Do not leave your printed information on a printer. Do not save your downloaded information to a public computer. When using a public computer, save your information to a CD or thumb drive. Remember to take the CD or thumb drive with you when you finish.
Please note: If you are using a public computer, the safest way to view your information is to choose the .TXT file and view it only. If you chose to open or download a PDF file, you create a temporary file on the computer. This file can be viewed by others. To reduce the chance of others viewing your registry information you should not download your data to public or shared computers.
What is the definition of Veteran?
For the purposes of the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, a Veteran is a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable.
What is the definition of Servicemember?
For the purposes of the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, a Servicemember is a person who is serving on active duty in one of the following branches of the United States Armed Forces: Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, National Guard, or the Coast Guard.
What is the definition of Operation Enduring Freedom / Operation Iraqi Freedom / Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND)?
For the purposes of the registry, OEF is defined as Afghanistan and Djibouti after September 11, 2001. OEF may refer to other operations such as those taking place in the Philippines, Pankisi Gorge, Trans Sahara, and Caribbean and Central America outside of the registry. However, for the purposes of this registry, OEF refers only to Afghanistan and Djibouti after September, 11 2001.
Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) began in March of 2003 when U.S. and coalition forces moved into Iraq from Kuwait. OIF continued until August 2010.
Operation New Dawn (OND) began in August of 2010 inIraq and ended in December 2011.
What is Southwest Asia theater of operations?
The Southwest Asia theater of operations (as defined in 38 CFR 3.317 (e)(2)) includes the following countries, bodies of water, and the air space above these locations: Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and waters of the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, and Red Sea.
Who are 1990-1991 Gulf War Veterans?
For the purposes of the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, a 1990-1991 Gulf War Veteran is a person who served in the first Persian Gulf War after August 2, 1990.