Military Exposures

Military Exposures

VA’s Military Exposures Research Program (MERP) defines military exposures as “contact with toxic agents, singly or in combination, acquired through ingestion, respiratory, or skin contact routes during military service.” These exposures may include environmental hazards (for example, smoke or airborne particulates), chemical agents, biological hazards, and occupational exposures related to specific jobs and duties.

The PACT Act of 2022 significantly expanded the list of “presumptive conditions”—medical conditions VA automatically assumes to be connected to military service—for military exposures, particularly for Veterans exposed to burn pits.

The chief goals of HSR’s military exposures research include better understanding the effects of exposures on Veteran health; developing and improving assessments that identify and measure past exposures; establishing effective treatments; and improving strategies for minimizing or preventing harmful exposures.

Each section below is populated by a search of the HSR website. Search results are generated based on the search term "Military Exposures" . Results are updated as new data are available.

Citations

(recent MILITARY EXPOSURES publications)

Ahmed ST, Nambi V, Helmer DA. Is it time to consider military exposures in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk estimation? Journal of occupational and environmental medicine. 2025 Oct 2 DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003565.
Almekdash MH, Han J, Guffey D, Christie IC, Helmer DA, Wu TD. Association of a Veterans Affairs Toxic Exposure Medical Evaluation with Symptom-related Care. Annals of the American Thoracic Society. 2025 Aug 1; 22(8):1176-1182, DOI: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.202408-835OC.
Ahmed ST, Li R, Steele L, Richardson P, Sims K, Quaden R, Harrington KM, Nambi V, Gaziano JM, Morgan R, Delclos GL, Helmer DA. Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Gulf War Veterans in Relation to Deployment Exposures. Cardiovascular toxicology. 2025 Sep 1; 25(9):1263-1271, DOI: 10.1007/s12012-025-10013-7.
Gibson CJ, Cao G, Inslicht S, Altman AD, Haas CE, Schneiderman A, Dursa E. Military Exposures and Early Menopause: Findings From the Gulf War Era Cohort Study (GWECS). Women's health issues : official publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. 2025 Jun 19 DOI: 10.1016/j.whi.2025.05.001.
Yip CS, Kaboli PJ, Jones MP, Carrel M, Thorne PS. Neighborhood Disadvantage and the Association of Hurricanes Sandy and Harvey With Veterans' Mental Health. JAMA Network Open. 2025 Jan 2; 8(1):e2455013, DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.55013.

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Publication Briefs

(recent MILITARY EXPOSURES Publication Briefs )

Characteristics and Needs of Veteran Cancer Survivors
Findings show that 11% of the Veterans treated within the VA healthcare system in FY07 were cancer survivors. The most common cancer types were prostate, skin (non-melanoma), and colorectal. Compared to the general population, Veteran cancer survivors are older (84% are older than 60) and predominantly male (97%). Cancer site prevalence statistics vary between the VA and general U.S. cancer pa...
Date: March 1, 2010

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Studies

(recent MILITARY EXPOSURES projects )

Project No.	Title	PI	Funding End

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HSR Briefs, Reports, Newsletters

There are currently no publications for this topic.

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Cyberseminars The most recent "Military Exposures" seminars are displayed.
Date	Title	Presenter(s)
4/18/2024	The Military Exposures Research Program	Johnson, Rudolph
1/11/2021	Research on Active Duty Servicewomen and Women Veterans: Research Opportunities using the Millennium Cohort Study	Rull, Rudolph Rohrbeck, Lt Col Patricia Carlton, MAJ Keyia Matsuno, Rayna Haskell, Discussant: Sally
10/29/2020	Overview of the Millenium Cohort Study (MILCO): Opportunities for VA Investigators	Rull, Rudolph Boyko, Edward Schneiderman, Aaron
6/18/2020	A Prediction Model of Military Combat and Training Exposures on VA Service-Connected Disability: A CENC Study	Dismuke-Greer, Libby
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Videos

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Podcasts

There are currently no podcasts for this topic.

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Other Resources

Visit VA’s Office of Public Health to learn more about the impact of military exposures on Veterans’ health.
Access a list of research studies associated with military exposures.
Download the Military Exposures Research Program fact sheet.

Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.

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