Military & Veterans Lung Disease
This information was reviewed and approved by Cecile S. Rose, MD, MPH (8/26/2024).
Over the last several decades, evidence has emerged that U.S. military personnel and Department of Defense (DoD) contractors who have deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and other sites in Southwest Asia are at increased risk for developing respiratory symptoms and, in some cases, disabling chronic respiratory diseases including asthma, rhinitis, sinusitis, and small airways diseases including bronchiolitis. Exposures to hazardous chemicals and particulates from numerous sources in these zones of conflict appear to be important in risk for these respiratory diseases.
What are the exposures of concern?
Military personnel deployed in Southwest Asia often are exposed to:
Open-air burn pits – burning or smoldering chemicals, metals, plastics and human waste- Desert dust and sandstorms
- Industrial fires and emissions
- Vehicular diesel exhaust
- Jet fuels
- Improvised explosive device (IED) blasts
- Combat dust and debris
- Temperature and humidity extremes in the desert climate
- Workplace vapors, dusts, gases and fumes such as paints and solvents
Who is at Risk?
- Current or former military personnel and government contractors who deployed during the First Gulf War or post-9/11 conflicts to Southwest Asia or other locations noted in the Sergeant First Class Health Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act.
What is included in Deployment-Related Respiratory Diseases (DRRDs)?
The full spectrum of deployment-related respiratory diseases (DRRDs) is unknown. Lung conditions that have been linked to deployment include:
Rhinitis and sinusitis
- Tracheobronchomalacia/expiratory central airway collapse (TBM/ECAC)
- Asthma
- Eosinophilic syndromes
- Bronchiolitis
- Emphysema
- Dendriform pulmonary ossification
How are these conditions diagnosed?
Medical evaluation is individualized. Testing may include:
Detailed occupational and medical history
Comprehensive physical exam
Is there treatment?
The team of medical providers and caregivers in our Deployment-Related Lung Disease Center will develop a personalized treatment approach for you based on your respiratory disease diagnosis and severity. We use the latest evidence-based information to establish a program of treatment and medical follow-up. For some lung conditions like bronchiolitis, there are few available treatments that have been shown to work. Treatment for deployment-related lung disease is a major focus of our research program.
What other services are offered?
Our team is up to date on Veterans Administration (VA) resources and can help with applications for VA benefits through the PACT Act (Sergeant First Class Health Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act) when applicable.
Who are the Clinical Specialists?
- Cecile S. Rose, MD, MPH
- Jeremy T. Hua, MD, MPH
- Richard Kraus, PA-C
- Other NJH caregivers as needed based on individualized assessments
Patient Stories
Joining Forces To Fight Deployment-Related Lung Disease
John Sepulveda arrived in Afghanistan in 2011 in peak form and proud to serve in the Air Force. His role was crucial, and he didn’t want to let down his fellow airmen, or his country. So, when he got sick less than a month into his deployment, he decided to tough it out. “That was the worst thing I could have done,” said Sepulveda.
Programs and Services
Clinical Trials