George Air Force Base, CA

I created this website to document what happened to me at George Air Force Base, and my 37-year quest to find out what I was exposed to. I firmly believe know that I am not the only one to suffer adverse health effects as a result of an exposure to environmental contaminants at George AFB. 

Southeast Disposal Area (SEDA)

The Southeast Disposal Area (SEDA) had several Installation Restoration Program (IRP) sites (unpermitted dump-sites and unpermitted burn pits) containing: VOCs and weapons' residue; industrial, chemicals, heavy metals, and/or radioactive wastes.

The SEDA is physically located about 1 mile southwest of the drinking water supply wells for George AFB, Adelanto, CA, several homes, and the former Victor Valley Country Club. Unfortunately, the groundwater flows northeast from the SEDA, directly toward these drinking water supply wells.

This created a potential exposure to tens of thousands of civilians, and military personnel and their family members over the years. Furthermore, a training area, small arms range and base sanctioned motocross track were located in the SEDA providing another exposure pathway to environmental contaminants for thousands.

The Air Force by its own admission has no record of all of the dump locations, or what or how much that it disposed at George AFB. See  “Burial of Radioactive Waste in the USAF” - AF – 1972; Nuclear Regulation - "The Military Would Benefit From a Comprehensive Waste Disposal Program” - GAO – 1990; Environmental Cleanup – "Better Data Needed For Radioactively Contaminated Defense Sites” – GAO – 1994; “Lost Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Records” - EPA – 1996

The Air Force admits that it routinely withheld records and information about radioactive waste from regulators, contractors, and the public.  See “Buried Radioactive Weapons Maintenance Waste” - Air Force Real Property Agency (AFRPA) – 8 May 2003

The Air Force failed to notify the Veterans Affairs or former base personnel of their exposure to potentially life threatening environmental contamination at George AFB.  See Defense Infrastructure – “DOD Can Improve Its Response to Environmental Exposures on Military Installations” – GAO - May 2012

I voluntarily enlisted in the Air Force in 1972. I was physically healthy, passed my induction physical with no restrictions; reasonably intelligent, scored a 98% on the AFQT; of good moral character and psychologically stable, passed my Extended Background Investigation (EBI), and was nuke qualified; graduated about 5th in my flight from basic training, and 3rd in my class from tech school (AFSC/MOS 462x0).

In 1972, I was stationed at George AFB and was discharged 17 months later in 1974 after having been hospitalized twice, having lost 58 lbs., going from 192 lbs. to 134 lbs., a significant weight loss for someone 6ft 4in. I was discharged on crutches, bleeding out of all of my body's orifices, with nonstop migraines, and could barely talk. Since 1974, I have had 3 lymph node and 1 bone marrow biopsies, all benign but abnormal. In 1993, I was told that I had the bone density of an eighty-year-old lady and that the osteoporosis was so severe that it would prove fatal if I did not immediately volunteer for an osteoporosis research project at the local Veterans Administration Hospital. Since then I have had numerous stress fractures.