CNN

With the hundreds of billions of dollars we have spent in Iraq and Afganastan, The US Army and Air Force didn't even bother to bring in trash disposal facilities? So they burn it in open pits? Commanders ordered their men and women into positions downwind of these pits? Burning chemicals?

These commanders should be courtmartialed.

At least Haliburton got its profit, and the oil flows for Exxon and Mobil. So the wars served their purpose well. As it has been throughout history, the foot soldier suffers untold ills while the conquering king reaps the vast rewards of plunder.

@Mike, Syracuse NY

You need a math lesson. Just because "only" 9% of mortgages are currently in foreclosure doesn't mean the other 91% are getting paid on time. Some of them have already been foreclosed and a lot of the rest are behind. The GOP's attitude has been around before – it was called fiddling while Rome burned. Deny it all you want – we're in a crisis here and we've got to find a way to take care of it. You boys go sit in a corner somewhere and tell yourselves "We're all right, so everything must be fine" until they come for YOU >>>>>

Bring Them Home....... Plz

Minnesotan February 26th, 2009 9:57 pm ET

Send the EPA over… and leave them there.

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Wow, from Minnesota and not environmentally friendly? I don't like to stereo-type, but that seems a bit odd.

My cousin Mitch died in 2002 from leukemia. He was 42 years old and served in Desert Storm as a helicopter pilot. He felt ill around Thanksgiving, didn't get better. He was diagnosed around Christmas and dead by June. The military will not take any responsibility. My aunt has been in contact with many of his fellow military friends, and several others have developed leukemia, as well. They were exposed to something horrible over there, and if this ban stops it, then I think it's a good idea.

No Incumbents 2010 February 26th, 2009 11:17 pm ET

Tax the rich more and start a government program to provide trash disposal. I know we can have a Trash Czar.
Considering all the diseases and toxins already in these 3rd world countries we battle in; I think burning trash is the least of our worries.
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Cheney, is that you?

What the Hell? These guys deserve so much better.

after talking to my boys in the service, these symptons are not isolated to Balad. Al Asad Airbase has had similar rumors of problems...None of my crew have had personal experiences I was recently told a story of my friend's battle buddy being discharged for "holes" in his brain.

FYI.

enough already, stop the stupid Bush war and get them home

I was at tallil air base in Iraq and they burned the trash there also. As far as I know they are still doing it. They burned everything that you can think of, medical waste,body parts, electronics, etc. If it got tossed in the trash they burned it. The worst thing about it was if the wind blew just right the smoke would cover the whole base so everybody had to breath it.

My God when will this end? I demand we do research to find out why a turtle puts his head back in his body? If you have ever had a bon fire or been around a controlled burn you know you usually get black sute up your nose, or on your body it just happens. You just don't keep inhaling the crap all day long man you move on. These men are in wind storms (which can lodge up you nose and in your throat) they are around tank smoke, gun fire. God..................give it a rest. They want to worry about this more than they do a real problem which is PTSD (Post Tramatic Stress Disorder). They don't even want to help them when they get home with this REAL problem.

Some things never change...like what soldiers have to put up with to serve their country. My dad used to joke that he took up smoking cigarettes...to be able to filter the air he had to breath on a US navy destroyer.

Tax the rich more and start a government program to provide trash disposal. I know we can have a Trash Czar.
Considering all the diseases and toxins already in these 3rd world countries we battle in; I think burning trash is the least of our worries.

Some republicans could have boils on their face and they would deny it.

Mike Dallas... Nina is correct. According to Military Families United, more than 64% polled did not want the ban overturned.

Another example of private contractor work performed without regard for the troops, followed by a pentagon cover up? No way. Couldn't happen.

it is ironic, but it seems that the only way Americans are treated right when they come back from this illegal war initiated by the Moron's regime, and now, it seems, pursued for the next two years by Obama, is when they come back in flag covered coffins...all other veterans of that war are in a constant fight to survive their illnesses, not to mention the burden on t heir families which very few politicians do much more than talk about....just WHERE is the mandate to continue this senselessness....70% of Americans and 80% of the rest of the world, including Iraqi's, are opposed to this continuing illegal occupation..the body count continues to rise, call it for what it is..and, perhaps, with allowing families to make the choice of whether or not they want the coffins of their sons, their daughters, their fathers, their mothers who have died–and will continue to die under the Obama plan–viewed publicly, this war will someday end...the troops WILL come home, the blood will no longer flow....thank god for the media..they ended the American genocide in Vietnam...perhaps the same effect will be attained with the Iraq/Afghanistan fiasco's.

Don't forget to blame Bush.

@linda from south dakota: "and dont really care that most americans can barely afford food or to pay their house payment"

Umm, linda, you must be a liberal. "Most" means more than half. Most Americans are employed and have more than enough food and are paying their mortgages just fine. The unemployment rate is much less than recessions in the 70's and 80's. 7% isn't the Great Depression. The mortgage default rate is 9%. That means 91% are getting paid on time. Like 'most' Americans, you are probably paying less taxes than you were 8 years ago. But don't worry, Obama will fix that.

"Obama wants $200 Billion for war spending"?? And Bush was spending too much on a stupid war?

Send the EPA over... and leave them there.

Troops stationed in South Korea are also exposed to an environmental nightmare. The trash is (unless things have changed) is burned open-air with lots of pollution.

As a soldier who was and will be deployed to Iraq, I have to say, It's about time!!! These burn pits are nasty, dirty, smelly, and everywhere. We inhale this gunk daily. The military says don;'t worry about it, you will be fine. What a load of bull that is.

NINA, you need to do some research prior to posting. Military members and their families want the pictures of flag draped coffins in the news. This is a war in which very few americans are actually sacrificing anything. Most americans are happily sitting on the couch each night, sacrificing nothing, watching the news and being happily ignorant when it comes to american deaths overseas. As an active duty servicemember who has been deployed, if something happens to me, I want the coverage. I want people like you NINA who sacrifice nothing, to see the sacrifice that some people have to do in order to keep this great country strong. Ignorance may be bliss, however, if we were all as ignorant and uninformed as you are Nina, this country would be half of what is today. Showing the coffins is not a form of protest, it is not political, it is a show of respect and a reminder to people like you Nina that there is a war going on, and that there are heroes sacrificing themselves for this country. Read the news Nina, get off your high-horse, become an informed american and you will see that the majority of service members and their families want these pictures shown.

Now now scott and linda lets not let our ignorance show. Both republican and democratic politicians have made screwing the people of this country a fine art. The soldiers are just getting what they signed up for, and we as taxpayers are getting what we settle for. Obama has no chance of changing the direction of this country, he isn't a power broker, he is a puppet, just like all the rest of them. How do you know when a politician/ lawyer is lying? Their mouth is moving. Stop paying your taxes and stop taking their "stimulas" bribes it's not our money, it's our grandchildrens money. When will we stop putting the mistakes and greed of our own time on the shoulders of those yet unborn?

@nina

You lying and ignorant twit!

Two thirds of the families said the tradition of showing the caskets should be reinstated.

In addition, the families have the final say, as to whether the casket of their loved one can be photographed.

If you had read the budget before starting your fat fingers, you would know that President Obama has increased spending for VA health care and PTS. But, then I forgot, you cannot read and sorry the budget doesn't have pictures! http://www.budget.com, maybe your 8 year old can read it to you.

I was a firefighter at Balad and we were constantly going to the dump to try and control the fires there. They were burning stuff 24/7 and there was a steady column of smoke rising from that side of the base. We always were our breathing apparatus when at the dump but there were many people who went there or near there that didn't have that luxury.

OMG, get rid of that stuff!

i dunno, have the afgans dispose of it and pay them in return

that might stimulate their economy

...just a thought

President Obama's new budget does include increases for VA care, unless of course, McCain and crew vote against it.

Nina, there was no "vote" by this administration. The decision was made by Robert Gates. Additionally, the decision to allow these caskets to be shown in the media will ultimately be left to the families of these deceased soldiers. If a family does not want his loved one's casket shown, it will not be shown. Remember, there are 38% of military families that don't have a problem with it, that do NOT find it "shameful and wrong". Perhaps they believe that it will draw attention to the real consequences of this war. Even if they aren't the majority, their opinions matter just as much as the majority's (and yours). They certainly have suffered and lost just as much.

of course it's toxic, bring outr troops HOME (ASAP).

I am more concerned with the BILLIONS of dollars that this war is costing us, on top of the American casualties, while they are sitting on oil fields. Any debt America had to Iraq has been paid for by American blood and American dollars. If they want our protection or advisers, let them pay for them. Why are we continuing to pour money and blood down this bottomless pit? If a civil war is going to happen, it will happen after we have left many of our dead and wounded and billions of our dollars! I am a democrat with liberal leanings and also a Viet Nam veteran. We are not learning from history.

Really though, what are they supposed to do with it? Carry it with them until they find an incinerator at a base?

Congress doesn't need any more information, these soldiers were breathing toxics just like agent orange. Pay them, take care of them and stop the suffering and don't treat them like we did our Vietnam veterans whom many died before seeing a penny from their suffering.

re:scott.. umm, scott,, u must be a republican,, because any sane american can see that we have been shafted for at least 8 years here,,,,either that or you have enuff money to last you a lifetime, and dont really care that most americans can barely afford food or to pay their house payment,,, or you just want to be noticed here for a big negative statement.. grow up!!!!!

I was in Afghan. One of our machine gun post's was about 25 yards from the burn pit. That burn pit would have anything and everything that was used through out the day burning. And if you were lucky you'd have the wind blowing in your face for all 8 hours while on post with the black smoke coming in!

So now the goverment is saying you can inhale burning plastic and treated green wood and it's healthy? Isnt this a new low for our goverment.

CNN should look at the letter sent from someone in the V.A. It said they werent to give returning home vet's there "ptsd" claim right away and to call it something else.
That's something that should be brought to light!!!!

We should not be making our own soldiers sick! Totally unacceptable! I'm glad they are insisting on more tests. The practice should be stopped until they have definitive proof that this causes no harm to the brave men and women doing the jobs we've asked them to do!

A lot worse has happened. We just got the shaft by our new president who is plunging America into the worst deficit in history.

And you thought Bush spent a lot of money?

LOL!

your right EC...very wrong but don't count on this adminstration helping them. They just voted for the media to get coverage on coffins coming back. Never mind that 64 to 70 percent of the military families polled were againist it. I thought he would be for the soldiers but this is shameful and wrong. I guess we see where military stands in there book. Bet we won't see him visiting on Thanksgiving day!.

You do not need to collect data to know the answer ...this is pure common sense : burning toxic materials is toxic to your health period!

This is just WRONG to have our military inhaling TOXIC smoke. What the heck is going on over there, WHY isn't someone stepping up to correct this mess that's making our military members sick!!!