Air Force AGAIN Refuses to Designate C-123s as Agent Orange Sites

Received December 6, 2014 from the USAF General Counsel. This is their third refusal to acknowledge the issue. VA has said only AF or DOD can designate DOD sites as Agent Orange sites. AF here says that's a VA responsibility.

The problem: VA cites the DOD list of bases and ships which were potential Agent Orange exposure sites as proof in related disability claims. Whether or not a base, ship or airplane is labeled by DOD as a contaminated site affects whether VA will recognize the veteran's claim.

In the case of C-123s, their absence from the DOD list is cited by VA as "proof" we weren't exposed. VA says if the airplanes were contaminated, they'd be on the DOD list. As can be seen in the letter below, AF is making every effort to avoid any modification of the Al Young-produced list DOD provided the VA in 2006...despite the reams of documentation calling for just such a recognition.