Suits against KBR allege burn pit fumes affected troops

Source: Stars and Stripes

Fumes from burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan have imperiled the health of troops and contractors, according to lawsuits filed in several states Tuesday against defense contractor KBR.

Six lawsuits were filed in state courts on behalf of current and former military personnel, private contractors and families of people whose deaths allegedly stemmed from the fumes, cnn.com reported. More were expected to be filed Wednesday.

A total of 70 plaintiffs will be filing lawsuits, lead attorney Elizabeth Burke told CNN.

In a statement to CNN, KBR said the assertion that KBR knowingly harmed soldiers or contractors is unfounded.

Read more: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=62384

contracts with no opposition and they still could not be bothered to do an honest day's work for their charity billions.

Fortunately, I was an officer in Viet Nam so I never had to pull the shit-burn detail. But I smelled the burning shit from my first step off the United D-8-61 at Tan San Nhut AFB (Saigon) until I burned my old jungle fatigues once back stateside. Ask anyone who did time in Viet Nam during the war what smell they most remember. Almost all will answer, "Burning shit." There was even a shit-burn scene in Oliver Stone's "Platoon."

The ubiquitous 55 gallon drums, cut in half, served as a solid waste receptacle under the latrine seats. Some of those drums may have contained Agent Orange. But who the hell knows? The half-barrels were dragged from the latrines daily, doused with JP-4 (jet fuel), and set afire. JP-4 and shit burning yielded toxic, billowing plumes of black smoke.

Evidently, they still burn shit in Iraq the way they did in Viet Nam. Some things .. never-mind.


A 101st Airborne shit-burn at FSB Veghel in Viet Nam


Finishing up the "shit burn" at the 1st Cav's "Golf Course" (An Khe, Viet Nam)


US Army shit-burn specialist in Iraq


Burning shit in Iraq