(If you are looking for information regarding the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, please see our previous post about it here.)
Camp Lejeune – VA Benefits Apply for Benefits Today
History of Camp Lejeune
Named after General John A. Lejeune who was an early proponent of the amphibious assault plan utilized in WWII, Camp Lejeune is a U.S. Marine Corps Base in North Carolina which was established in 1941. Over the last 80 years, the base continued to grow, and today Camp Lejeune houses around 170,000 people (both military and non-military personnel) on 156,000 acres of land.
Contaminated Drinking Water
From approximately the mid-1950s to the mid-1980s, hazardous chemicals from storage tanks located on base leaked into the water wells serving the base. These chemicals included trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), and benzene, and remained in the water supply until the wells were closed in February 1985.
VA Disability Compensation
The Camp Lejeune Act of 2012 created presumptive disability compensation and healthcare benefits for Veterans, reservists, or guardsmen who meet both of the following criteria:
- Military service at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River for at least 30 cumulative days between August 1953 through December 1987, and
- Have a military discharge other than dishonorable at the time of separation from service.
The following conditions were established as presumptive conditions for VA disability compensation based on exposure to the contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune:
- Adult leukemia
- Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Parkinson’s disease
Veterans with a medical condition other than the ones listed above may still be eligible to receive service-connected disability benefits based on their exposure to contaminated drinking water.
File a claim online at VA.gov or contact your local Regional Office to get the help of an accredited Veteran Service Officer.
If you are interested in filing a claim for VA disability compensation benefits, please click here
Available Health Care
In addition to establishing healthcare for Veterans, the Camp Lejeune Act of 2012 also provided dependent family members who were also stationed on base to receive healthcare for certain medical conditions established as due to the contaminated drinking water.
To learn about the Camp Lejeune Family Member Program. Click Here.
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