Burn Pit Registry

So I registered for this a few years ago and I just attended an appointment. I was surprised I got sent to the C&P clinic at the VA. I met with a doctor who went over my whole medical file. Basically went from head to toe everything I was diagnosed with and asked me anything else I had been seen for outside of the VA that may be service-connected. He identified at least 3 disabilities that I could file disability for. The two off the top of my head is rhinitis. Some of the ones he read off were already service connected. He said, if I wasn’t service-connected for it, he would basically make a recommendation that I am service-connected for it. Bottom line, if you attend this, they may identify some disabilities for you and if you file for it, you will most likely get it as the nexus has already been established (nexus is that you have the diagnosis and you were in country I.E. Southwest Asia - Iraq or anywhere that had burn pits and you were exposed to it). I am not going to file any more disabilities as I’m already maxed out and don’t want to fix what’s not broken. I told the doc I was just there to make sure all this stuff was on the record just in case. Who knows what will come out of it in the future, just not taking chances seeing what happened with those exposed to agent orange.

 

I signed up for the burn pit registry several years ago. I was contacted this past summer about doing a phone interview. My health issues were almost certainly related to the burn pits and I’m already 100% rated, so I’m also not bothering to file for anything new. But I wanted to conduct the interview just to go over everything and get everything written down for the records. Just in case, as you said, more things happen later or the information helps someone else.

 

I registered last month after being advised to do so by a retired colonel I know who is also a Gulf War veteran. I went to the VA and had a physical exam, x-rays of my lungs and sinuses and was standard interviewed of sorts by the PA doing it. I was also advised by the PA I should set myself up with a primary care physician and I did so and have an appointment next week with the primary care. I'm not sure when that will involve as I have no medical issues that I know of. I just figured I should do all this so as to be in the system.

 

It's good to get into the system and get an annual checkup. Hopefully, you never need their services, but they will already have you established if you do.