Comedian Jon Stewart is putting pressure on the Biden administration to address a loophole in a veterans aid bill that has left out some of the first U.S. troops who fell ill after serving at a base contaminated with dangerous levels of uranium.
Karshi-Khanabad, or “K2,” in Uzbekistan was a former Soviet air base used by U.S. forces in the early days of the war on terror. The base was riddled with radioactive uranium and other contaminants, leading to thousands of veterans reporting complex medical conditions over the years.
Despite the passage of the PACT Act, a veterans aid bill that was supposed to address health issues facing K2 veterans, radiation exposure at the base was left out of the coverage. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has yet to act on adding radiation exposure as a covered condition, leaving many K2 veterans struggling with denied claims and untreated medical issues.
The data obtained from K2 shows alarming levels of uranium contamination, with some samples recording radiation levels thousands of times higher than normal. This exposure can lead to serious health issues such as kidney damage, bone cancer risk, and reproductive system problems.
Former Army Sgt. Matthew Nicholls, part of an environmental health team deployed to K2, reported finding yellow powder and clumps of uranium scattered across the base, leading to the creation of a classified map marking the area as an “enriched uranium contamination site.”
K2 veterans, like former Army Staff Sgt. Mark Jackson, continue to suffer from severe illnesses that are not covered by the VA, despite the passage of the PACT Act. With over 1,500 self-reported cases of illnesses among K2 veterans, the urgency to address radiation exposure at the base is growing.
Stewart, a longtime advocate for first responders and veterans, is pushing for VA Secretary Denis McDonough to take action and provide the necessary support to K2 veterans before it’s too late. The veterans and their families are demanding recognition and assistance from the government for the sacrifices they made in service to their country.
