We enlisted or were commissioned in the military to protect the United States, pledging to defend our nation and, if necessary, to sacrifice our lives for the country we love. However, we did not consent to being exposed to toxins due to government negligence, nor did we agree to our spouses and children being exposed to hazardous substances.
In many cases, the Department of Defense (DoD) was aware of contamination and its health risks at military bases for decades before we were stationed there. Yet, the DoD failed to adequately protect or warn us about these dangers. Our families, including pregnant and nursing mothers, as well as young children, lived, worked, and attended school on one or more of the 130+ active and former DoD Superfund sites, which are among the most contaminated lands in the nation. With repeated and prolonged exposure to high levels of toxins over typical assignments of two to four years, many of us were stationed at multiple contaminated bases, resulting in hazardous substances accumulating in our systems. This exposure has led to serious health consequences, particularly for our children, who are especially vulnerable.
We urgently need the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to conduct new Public Health Assessments (PHAs) for every DoD Superfund site, including George Air Force Base. These assessments are crucial for obtaining medical care and compensation for our service-connected injuries and for providing closure to those who have lost loved ones due to these exposures.
Was George Air Force base already contaminated as early as 1952 or 1953
The Atmospheric Nuclear Weapons Testing Radiological Decontamination Centers were at George AFB as early as 1951. See: http://georgeafb.info/george-afbs-atmospheric-nuclear-weapons-testing-decontamination-centers/
Tha Army and later the Air Force uses the highly toxic organochlorine pesticides. See: http://georgeafb.info/george-afb-organochlorine-pesticides-contamination/
I was stationed there flying f-4’s. This was back in the 80’s. was there still a contamination risk then?
Yes! The official AF cleanup did not start until the mid-1980s.
Radiological Contamination
The radiological contamination from the Atmospheric Nuclear Weapons Testing Decontamination Centers had not been addressed.
See: http://georgeafb.info/george-afbs-atmospheric-nuclear-weapons-testing-decontamination-centers/
Pesticides Contamination
The use of organochlorine pesticides’ (“OCPs”) in the base barracks and housing was not banned until the mid-1980s.
See: http://georgeafb.info/george-afb-organochlorine-pesticides-contamination/ AND http://www.basefamilyhousing.info/
Burn Pits
George Air Force Base had over a dozen of open-air burn pits and two old style incinerators (without an air scrubber to remove toxic chemicals).
See: http://georgeafb.info/george-afbs-burn-pits-incinerators/
Industrial Waste – George’s drinking water supply
From 1965 to 1 December 1981 (16 years), the Air Force dumped 5,578,400 gallons of industrial waste containing known carcinogens into the sanitary sewer. The effluent (outflow) from the sewage treatment plant was used to water the golf course. The golf course was NEXT to the water supply wells for George AFB, Adelanto, and private homes, and the former Victor Valley Country Club.
See: http://georgeafb.info/industrial-waste-completed-exposure-pathways/
Miscarriages, Stillbirths, Birth Defects, And Childhood Cancers
In the early 1980’s the AF was telling women living on George NOT to get pregnant because of the high infant mortality rate.
See: http://georgeafb.info/george-afb-children/ and http://georgeafb.info/g-a/
Yes, there was the fire department’s burn pit out by the runway where the fire suppression systems were used to train the fire department crews and what was used to start the fires.
Then there was also the constant leaking of JP-4 and later JP-8 onto the ground and eventually into the ground water.
Is there a class action law suit pending for those of us that were stationed at George A.F.B . If so who do we contact to be added to the law suit?
I have contacted over 100 attorneys over the years trying to get someone to help. I was repeatedly told that our case has no standing because of the Statute of Limitations, Feres Doctrine, and the sovereign immunity clause of the Federal Torts Claim Act (FTCA).
The only ones that possibility have standing to bring a class action lawsuit are the injured children from GAFB. See http://www.georgeafb.info/get-help/
If you or a member of your family was injured at GAFB please join our Facebook page, enter your information into the “Health Survey” at the top of our FB page, and Submit Your Information To The GAFB’s Health Registry. http://www.georgeafb.info/submit-information-gafb-health-registry/
I’ll be doing that. Thank you. My dad was stationed at George from the mid 60s to early 70s. 8 children. 1 has already died from colon cancer. Myself, have Crohn’s disease, an autoimmune disorder/disease that I’ve just started seeing a rheumatologist for (loss of hearing in both ears, thickening trachea, chronic inflammation in joints). We weren’t born at George, but spent about 8 years of our childhood in the base and Victorville schools, playgrounds, etc, as well as spending time playing in and around the storm drains (as kids do). This was pretty shocking to learn about and was brought to my attention by my brother.
Just caught the end of your appearance on today’s RT/Headline News. Always glad to see conscientious Americans taking corrective initiatives. From what I’ve seen, personally, only locally informed actions are able to develop viable solutions. Keep up the good work.
Thanks, I usually ramble when I am in that much pain and should have rescheduled the interview.
I was born on George Air Force Base in 1979. Both of my parents were stationed there. I have questions, and I want answers. Something is wrong and no one wants to talk about it. My parents won’t even talk about it. I know when something is being hidden and it is important to me to know what happened. I am glad I found this just by doing a google search “What happened to children born on George Air Force Base in 1979.” There are a lot of things I have questions on… from George Air Force Base, to the base we lived on in the Azores, to wherever we were at in New Jersey, to Grissom Air Force Base. Everyone wants to get completely silent when I start asking questions and frankly I’m tired of it. I need some truth here! This is HIGHLY important to me…. it will explain a lot of things. To top it off, I have been through hell and high water even trying to a copy of my birth certificate from California. Everyone else I know from California has no problems with obtaining their birth certificate, but me and one other person I know, who were born on George Air Force Base, has had problems for years.
I was stationed a George AFB from Nov. 1966 – April 1970. I was assigned to the 4535th CCTS as a crew chief. During that time I lived in the Barracks for most the years stationed there. Being a mechanic I was also around; JP-4, oils, washing aircraft, solvents, grease and we never wore gloves. I was diagnosed with Polycythemia Vera in 2012, I have asthma, environmental allergies and cough a lot. I have tried to get compensation from the VA with no success.
I was stationed at GAFB 1997-1992. I remember we used bottled water for cooking and drinking because the water that came out of the tap had visually obvious contaminates, even though we were told it was safe. My youngest was born while I was stationed there and was initially hydrocephalic which miraculously resolved. However my wife did go into premature labor at 31 weeks. Her labor was stopped and she spent the next month at Loma Linda Medical Center. Medical bills were in the hundreds of thousands of dollars which were not all covered by Try-to-Care. Most were forgiven by the providers and the hospital. My son had to spend 14 days in the Neonatal ICU. He has had difficulties with ADHD-ADD his whole life and spent much of his childhood in mental health facilities. Question: Do we have any recourse at this point?
Was stationed there 83-86, lived in Base housing during my entire tour, with two dependant children attending school, I, would like to know if this time period falls within time frame, and if so, I,too, would be interested in more information to support this claim. Thank you for this information.
Just heard from a neighbor about this site. And had no idea this was so widespread.