TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — As Samba Jargu took a hit of his joint of marijuana, he breathed a sigh of relief. For Jargu, marijuana is a way to relieve chronic pain.
He lost his thyroid, flat-lined a few times, and has cardiac issues caused by toxic burn pits while Jargu was serving in the Navy in Somalia, Egypt, and the Horn of Africa.
He said because there aren’t waste services in many countries, the military had to burn their trash, which included lead, paint, and batteries.
However, toxic burn pits were not the only toxic substances he was exposed to.
“We had a chemical biological incident. I was quarantined for 3 days,” Jargu recounted.
Cleaning up the burn pits once, Jargu was forced to clean up human waste.
“All a lot of people get is like a rag to cover your face and you get a broom handle,” he said.
He was exposed to the burn pits for 5 out of his 7 years of service and got tested for his health issues back in 2018.
“It’s like a 3 hour process and they grill you over your service,” he said.
However, he said the doctors who tested him didn’t find enough evidence that his health issues were linked to the burn pits.
Now he has to reapply for benefits promised through the PACT Act, which President Joe Biden signed in August of last year.
It gives benefits to veterans who were exposed to toxic burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxicities.
On Monday, the Department of Veterans Affairs started processing benefit claims promised by the PACT Act.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says since the PACT Act was signed, they received more than 213 thousand claims for benefits. They say more than 959 thousand veterans have been screened for toxic exposure.
The PACT Act also helps veterans with life insurance, home loan insurance, and tuition benefits. The VA says in the past 2 years they hired more than 2,700 people to process veteran claims and are processing them at the fastest rate in history.
“I’m the first of many that will be dealing with this, so expect many, a lot of young service members who have been in this 20 year war to come back with a lot of these situations,” Jargu said.
Jargu said while the PACT Act isn’t perfect, it’s a start.
“You served this country. Do you feel like the government and the country is serving you enough through the PACT ACT?” KGUN9 reporter Andrew Christiansen asked Jargu.
“The Pact Act is a great start, but there’s more that needs to be done…you get denied or told your symptoms aren’t real, and after a while, a lot of folks don’t want to go back to the VA because they weren’t heard,” he said.
Army veteran Robert Terstegge served for 27 years and was exposed to burn pits in Iraq for 15 months and in Afghanistan for 2 years.
“It’s black smoke coming from it, so you know it’s not good, obviously because you’re inhaling it all day long,” Terstegge said.
He said because he inhaled so much toxic smoke, he has health issues like trouble breathing, allergies, and sinus infections.
Terstegge signed up for the burn pit registry in 2019 and is currently interviewing with doctors, hoping to get benefits through the PACT Act.
He said he’s hoping the new law will speed up the process for veterans to get the healthcare they need.
“Don’t forget about us. It’s a short time that you’re in the military, but it lasts a lifetime,” he said.
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Andrew Christiansen is a reporter for KGUN 9. Before joining the team, Andrew reported in Corpus Christi, Texas for KRIS6 News, Action 10 News and guest reported in Spanish for Telemundo Corpus Christi. Share your story ideas with Andrew by emailing andrew.christiansen@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, or Twitter.
