Marine Veteran Wins Burn Pit Medical Retirement Fight
A Marine Corps veteran has secured a significant victory in his years-long struggle to gain medical retirement benefits tied to toxic exposure from burn pits, according to a recent article titled “Marine veteran wins battle for burn pit-related medical retirement,” published by Marine Corps Times.
Former Marine Sgt. Cameron DeVries, who deployed twice to Iraq during his service from 2005 to 2009, was recently granted a medical retirement after a protracted fight with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Marine Corps’ own evaluation processes. DeVries claimed that prolonged exposure to burn pits during his deployments left him with severe, chronic respiratory and neurological conditions that ultimately rendered him unfit for continued military service or civilian employment.
According to Marine Corps Times, DeVries initially received a general discharge without full medical retirement in 2009 despite reporting numerous health issues. It wasn’t until years later—after dozens of medical visits, legal consultations, and appeals—that officials acknowledged the severity and service connection of his conditions. The ruling now entitles him to full medical retirement benefits, including military healthcare and monthly compensation.
The case highlights growing concerns surrounding the long-term health impacts of burn pit exposure, a hazard faced by thousands of service members during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. These disposal sites, used to incinerate waste ranging from plastics to vehicle parts, produced thick plumes of smoke filled with potentially toxic compounds. Service members and advocacy groups have long argued that close and repeated exposure to these emissions has caused a wave of debilitating illnesses, including cancers, respiratory failure, and autoimmune diseases.
Recent legislative efforts, including provisions in the Honoring Our PACT Act signed into law in 2022, have aimed to expand presumptive health coverage and disability benefits for veterans afflicted by such exposures. While the legislation marked a major policy shift, many veterans continue to face bureaucratic obstacles when pursuing compensation. DeVries’ case underscores both the human cost of prolonged institutional inaction and the evolving, though still incomplete, recognition of environmental hazards faced during military service.
Advocates hailed the decision in DeVries’ case as a critical step forward, both for him and for other veterans navigating similar claims. “This is a long-overdue acknowledgement of what thousands of service members have endured,” said a representative from a national veterans’ advocacy organization. “But it’s also a reminder that without continued pressure and reform, many more may still be left behind.”
As debates continue over the scope of coverage under current policies, and as additional cases like DeVries’ surface, the Pentagon and the VA face intensifying calls for greater transparency, faster adjudication of claims, and sustained support for veterans suffering from service-connected health conditions linked to burn pit exposure.
