A newly drafted executive order would open the door to medical and financial support for veterans who believe their rare cancers and other diseases stem from their time on a remote military base.
The veterans were assigned to the base in the former Soviet Republic of Uzbekistan after the attacks of September 11, 2001 and fought for recognition for years.
Since then, more than 2,000 current and former service employees have reported illnesses, including rare cancers, which they believe are related to the former Soviet base, also known as K-2, a CBS News investigation has revealed.
Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller told CBS senior investigative correspondent Catherine Herridge in his first network television interview that he is getting directly involved in the case.
“[I’m] “Threw the sink here,” Miller said.
Miller was one of the first to go to Afghanistan after September 11 as commander of the army’s special forces. It launched from the former Soviet air base Karshi-Khanabad or K-2 in neighboring Uzbekistan. The acting secretary said the K-2 reports are personal to him.
“It’s very personal. I feel I have a duty to help those who have gone through that and are suffering from illness,” he said.
Of the 15,000 service workers who went through K-2 between 2001 and 2005, more than 2,000 flooded a Facebook page used for self-reporting of diseases, including rare cancers.
Miller said he focused on helping the veterans serving on the base.
“What I want is for us to be on the veteran’s side, not get caught up in bureaucracy and endless studies like we’ve done in the past. That’s my commitment. There’s no doubt something is going on,” he said.
Miller said he hopes to help K-2 veterans by January 20, 2021 by drafting an executive order for President Trump’s consideration.. He says he is confident that the order will be signed by the president.
“That is my fundamental goal and wish, and we will sprint to the end to make it happen,” he said.
A CBS News investigation documented new evidence of toxic conditions at the base, including soil saturated with jet fuel, a running track marked with warning signs, high radiation levels, a 1993 explosion that spread toxic material across the base, as well as the existence of a Soviet-era chemical weapons remediation unit. One site was even nicknamed “Skittles Pond” for its changing shade.
One of the affected veterans is Doug Wilson, a former Air Force mechanic who says he can no longer work or drive after a rare cancer causes brain damage.
“I had no idea this was going to be my life when I was 40,” said Wilson.
Miller said seeing Wilson’s story “drove [him] to pick this up faster. “
Meanwhile, K-2 veteran Mark Jackson told CBS News that he recently received a preliminary cancer diagnosis. He said the past 15 years have felt like betrayal.
Miller, who works with the Veterans Affairs Department, said the executive order he issued would add Uzbekistan to the registry for toxic exposure, in addition to Afghanistan. This would give K-2 veterans, such as Jackson and Miller, access to preventive screenings and financial support.
“This [executive order] will recognize that their service is involved in the operations in Afghanistan and open up programs and benefits to them that they do not currently have access to, ”he said.
When asked about the K-2 widows who have already lost their husbands to cancer, they think it is related to exposure to toxins at the base, Miller said they would not be left behind.
A recent Congressional hearing on the K-2 issue was held last month to address the health concerns of sick service workers.
Motivated by a new sense of momentum, Miller hopes to use his ability to exert some influence and break through what he calls “bureaucratic logjams.”
A White House spokesman said he would not speculate on the possible executive action. If President Trump refuses to sign the draft decision, President-elect Joe Biden could take the matter into office.
Both Jackson and Wilson told CBS News they would back an executive order.