At the 2022 memorial ceremony, Veteran Air Force, Monte Watts, was hit by a former Minnetusman III nuclear missile operator.
WATTS knew another missile with similar cancer. However, according to the blood test results, the connection was actually reached in the same day, when it turned out that Watts himself had a chronic lymphocytic leukemia, a type of lymphoma.
Watts said, “I don’t know if it’s ironic, less Serendi or what is the right word, but it was.
In the community of US service members who scattered nuclear missile silos across the northern Lokis and Great Plains, doubts that their jobs are not safe have been brewed for a long time. Lieutenant Danny Sebeck, a former air force missile, was transferred to the United States a few months after WATTS was diagnosed in 2022, and Lieutenant Danny Sebeck wrote a briefing on potential cancer clusters among those who served at the MINUTEMAN III launch control center at Montana’s Malmstrom Air Force Base.
SEBACKO has been confirmed 36 former workers He was mainly served from 1993 to 2011 and was diagnosed with cancer including himself. Eleven of them had a protected lymphoma; Three people died. The Air Force responded quickly to Sebeck’s discovery. Start a large -scale investigation Cancer cases and environments of three intercontinental ballistic missile bases and California launch facilities. The goal is to complete the research by the end of 2025.
As we concluded, the service presented a part of the research and emphasized the results by holding online viewing and briefings. However, the former missilers say they have been in a quick response, but they are concerned that research, including thousands of ICBM employees and administrative workers, can use statistical analysis that does not represent too much population or indicates the relationship between disease and military service.
They need that relationship to quickly the benefits of the Veterans’ wealth.
Historically, the Pentagon has slowed down to recognize potential environmental diseases. The veteran fought for several years to recognize military service to the Marine Corps, who drank contaminated water from the Vietnamese orange agent, the Camp Lejeune, and the members of the service who lived near the burns of Iraq and Afghanistan.
In the case of missiles, the Air Force has already studied potential pollution and cancer in Malmstrom. 2001 and 2005. According to this study, the launching control center concluded that it is a “safe and healthy work environment.” However, the Air Force Global Strike Command, which decided to pursue SEBECK’s announcement and further investigation, said the initial study did not contain comprehensive medical records in the initial study.
SEBECK, a co -director of Torchlight Initiative, an advocate organization that supports ICBM employees and his family, told the Democratic Party. April 8th Since the Ministry of Defense did not accurately track exposure to the community, it is difficult for Veterans to prove their links, to manage VA health and compensation for disability.
SEBECK mentioned the government system to record the environmental risk of service members, saying, “We had to go to VA people and bring some papers.” “I say I have visited Poland once. I don’t mention that 148 warnings have been drawn from polychloride vipenyl and firing control centers with contaminated air and water.”
PCB -missiles have been exposed
PCB is a synthetic chemical used once in the industry, including missile control electrical components such as display screens, keyboards and circuit breakers. They were banned from manufacturing since 1979 and were considered to be toxic and carcinogen of the Environmental Protection Bureau.
The Air Force’s missile community cancer research compares 14 types of general cancers of the US general population and missile community, and Montana’s Malmstrom Air Force Base, Wyoming’s FE WARREN Air Force Base, Minot Air Force Base and California’s VANDENBERG Space Force Study the environment of the base and determine whether it contributed to the risk of cancer.
Malmstrom, Warren and Minot gather 400 Minuteman III missiles, a land leg of the US nuclear triad, including submarine and aircraft launch nuclear weapons. The missile is accommodated in the silo spreads in some areas of Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska, and there is an employee around the watch.
The Air Force investigation has been found so far. There is no “statistically rising” death Compared to the general population in the cancer of the missile community, the mortality rate for four types of general cancers, lymphoma, lungs, colons and rectum and prostate cancer, was found to be significantly lower in missiles than the general population.
The protected lymphoma accounted for about 5.8%of all cancer deaths among those who worked at the launching control center from January 1979 to December 2020.
The initial results derived from the Ministry of Defense’s medical records found a high percentage of breast cancer and prostate cancer in the missile community, but later analysis did not support these results later. The study also failed to find an increase in the controversial lymphoma. However, the Air Force official mentioned on the June 4th online viewing that the evaluation is based on approximately half of the data expected to not come to the conclusions considering the final epidemiological report and the limitations.
The final incidence report includes federal and main data, including the information of the private arm registry, and the “exploration of sub -groups and exposure that can provide deeper insights to complex relationships” between the missile community and the service of cancer risks is the Air Force Col. I wrote Richard Speakman.
General Thomas Bussiere, a commander of the Air Force Global Strike Commander, said in June that the final result will be determined whether the missile community is higher than the general population.
Some lawmakers share concerns about missiles about air force research. A Review of North Carolina University Torchlight initiative data shows the ratio of a higher proportion of lymphoma among Malmstrom Missileers, Don Bacon (R-NEB.). I introduced the amendment We review the health and safety conditions of the facility in the Defense Policy Act, which requires national science, engineering and medicine.
Bacon checks if an external expert in Social Platform X has an external expert who studies cancer through an ICBM mission. “
Malmstrom said Speakman, who led the Aerospace Medical Air Force, has two types of PCBs that do not, in connection with further studies on the work environment of the installation and the possible relationship between the exposure and cancer risks.
He added that Benzene, found in cigarettes, vehicle exhaust and gasoline smoke, contributed to the risk of cancer in the base review.
This evaluation said that the health risk of missiles is “low but not zero.” He said it would be appropriate to monitor the health of the firing control workers.
Next step
Watts, who talked with Torchlight Initiative, asked the Department of Defense’s prosecutor (Watchdog Agency mentioned his request to Global Strike Command and watched the Air Force research closely. In the 2000s, ICBM staff still used technology containing PCBs, and said that it occurred in the 2000s when it occurred when it was exposed to contaminated water, perhaps when it was exposed to contaminated water.
WATTS recalls: “They came to confirm the contaminated water. I see the crew commander, and we are standing in a cotton uniform.
The launch control operator no longer burns the code tape indoors, and the Air Force has improved the air circulation of the center. SEBECK wants to take into account the legislative bills that the Congress is exposed to the basic pollution of the PACT method and mandates the benefits of veterans who have been ill by burns and other pollutants, including missiles and others.
SEBECK said, “Montana is probably written that there is a big arm cluster in Wioming, but people are surprised, but they are going to Denver’s oncology office, but I can find missile friends, we are sitting in a chair like chemotherapy.
Lauren Linscott, a spokesman for the Air Force strike commander, said he is doing his best to understand the impact of the unit on the cancer’s employees according to Sevke’s remarks.
Linscott said, “The current results are preliminary and the conclusions cannot be derived yet, but we are devoted to strict and fellow data -based processes to better understand potential health risks because the safety of the park is our top priority.
The bills introduced in the House of Representatives and the Senate will deal with the situation. In addition to bacon’s amendment, the Senate version of the annual Defense Policy Act will require “deep cleaning” of the launch control center every five years until the site is dismantled with new ICBM and sentinel.
The Air Force aims to announce the final mechanics report by the end of the year.
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