While the passage of the PACT Act was a monumental development for Gulf War and Post-9/11 Veterans, the impact on Vietnam era Veterans cannot be overlooked. With the passage of the PACT Act comes additional presumption of exposure to Agent Orange and other tactical herbicides for Veterans who served in Thailand, Guam, Laos, Cambodia, and at Johnston Atoll. The VA now considers service at these locations as being presumptive for exposure to Agent Orange and other tactical herbicides if the Veteran served at these locations during the specified periods of time listed below:
- Any U.S. or Royal Thai military base in Thailand from January 9, 1962, through June 30, 1976
- Laos from December 1, 1965, through September 30, 1969
- Cambodia at Mimot or Krek, Kampong Cham Province from April 16, 1969, through April 30, 1969
- Guam or American Samoa or in the territorial waters off of Guam or American Samoa from January 9, 1962, through July 30, 1980
- Johnston Atoll or on a ship that called at Johnston Atoll from January 1, 1972, through September 30, 1977
To qualify for presumption to entitlement to VA benefits the Veteran must have had qualifying service in a location recognized by the VA and have been diagnosed with one of the presumptive diseases. The presumptive diseases of exposure are:
- AL Amyloidosis
- Bladder Cancer
- Chronic B-cell Leukemias
- Chloracne (or similar acneiform disease)
- Diabetes Mellitus Type 2
- Hypertension
- Hodgkin’s Disease
- Hypothyroidism
- Ischemic Heart Disease
- Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)
- Multiple Myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
- Parkinsonism
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Peripheral Neuropathy, Early-Onset
- Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
- Prostate Cancer
- Respiratory Cancers (includes lung cancer)
- Soft Tissue Sarcomas (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, or mesothelioma)
If you were previously denied a claim for one of the listed presumptive diseases and had qualifying service at a location recognized by the VA, please contact Gustad Law Group for assistance in reopening your previously denied claim as you may be entitled to compensation back to the date of your original claim for service connection of the presumptive condition.