Military PFAS Exposure Sources
The U.S. military has been one of the largest users of AFFF foam, deploying it at hundreds of military installations for aircraft fire suppression and training. Service members working in aviation, crash and salvage, and fire fighting roles accumulated the highest exposures, but contaminated groundwater from base training areas has affected broader military community drinking water supplies.
Scores of military installations — including Peterson Air Force Base, Camp Lejeune, and dozens more — have documented PFAS contamination in on-base drinking water wells. Residents living and working on these bases for years or decades received sustained exposure through drinking water.
Health Outcomes in Veterans
Studies of military personnel with documented AFFF exposure have found elevated rates of kidney cancer, testicular cancer, prostate cancer, thyroid disease, and ulcerative colitis. Blood biomonitoring of service members at PFAS-contaminated bases has confirmed significantly elevated PFAS levels compared to the general population.
The Camp Lejeune water contamination — which affected hundreds of thousands of Marines, sailors, and their families between the 1950s and 1980s — has been associated with a range of cancers and conditions now recognized for VA benefits eligibility under the PACT Act.
Veterans Benefits and PFAS Recognition
The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, signed in 2022, expanded VA benefits to cover a range of toxic exposure-related conditions, including those linked to PFAS at contaminated military installations. Veterans who served at affected bases may be eligible for VA healthcare and disability compensation.
Veterans concerned about PFAS-related health conditions should contact their VA primary care provider for evaluation and to initiate a benefits claim. Documentation of service location and dates is critical for establishing eligibility.