By Christina Johnson
May 21, 2026 (San Diego) — Essentially, the ties between San Diego County, California, and the armed forces have never been confined to uniforms, deployments, or ceremonial tributes alone. In many ways, the region has grown alongside the military sector itself—honed by generations of Navy personnel, aviation crews, shipyard workers, veterans, and their families who helped make the county one of the most concentrated military communities. Regrettably, that long-standing presence has also carried less visible consequences that often receive far less public attention—most notably illnesses attributed to prolonged toxic exposure.
That reality fundamentally forms a quiet backdrop to National Military Appreciation Month, which places renewed public focus on service members, veterans, and military families every May. But though these public tributes honor the sacrifices and sustain the morale of troops and their loved ones, they nonetheless intersect with complex questions about what long-term support looks like for those who have been direly affected. Amid this, policy innovations such as the Veterans Exposed to Toxic (VET) PFAS Act—which aims to expand access to care for toxic-exposed veterans—reflect a gradual shift in how these risks are being understood.
Toxic Exposure, a Critical Occupational Hazard Affecting San Diego County Veterans
Generally, in discussions surrounding San Diego County’s military service, attention naturally gravitates toward visible threats—particularly combat injuries, operational risks, and the immediate demands of deployment. Yet many remain unaware that some of the most consequential dangers of this career do not arise in moments of conflict; instead, they are embedded in the environments where troops live and work through myriad hazardous substances. Alarmingly, this dynamic is not new in military history.
For one, asbestos has been integral to the military sector for most of the 20th century because of its incredible fireproofing capabilities and low cost. Consequently, asbestos was extensively utilized in the construction and maintenance of weapons, naval ships, aircraft hangars, tanks, and trucks such as those at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego County. However, mounting research later revealed that inhaling or ingesting asbestos fibers can lead to chronic diseases, which have already cost nearly 3,000 residents in the region between 1999 and 2017.
Further, a similar pattern has likewise been associated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), dubbed as “forever chemicals”. Initially hailed for their excellent heat and water resistance, these human-made compounds have been incorporated into the aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) as early as the 1960s, making it a widely used tool in suppressing liquid flammable fires for decades.
However, notwithstanding their advantageous properties, PFAS are also notorious for their persistence in the ecosystem. In fact, groundwater at almost ten military installations in San Diego County has been severely tainted due to substantial concentrations of PFAS discharged from AFFF. For service members deployed at these sites, that means a potential long-term health burden, particularly as PFAS has been increasingly linked to different types of cancer.
Advancing Accountability for PFAS-Exposed Veterans Through Legislative Action
Despite mounting scientific evidence linking PFAS exposure to serious conditions, many veterans still face significant barriers in accessing medical care and disability benefits. A key challenge is that conditions related to these issues are not yet included under the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) presumptive service connection framework. As a result, affected service members are often required to provide direct proof that their illness is connected to their military service. Unfortunately, this burden is both administratively complex and medically difficult—especially given the long latency periods of many exposure-related diseases. Also, this stands in contrast to other toxic policies, where Congress has already established presumptive pathways—most notably under the Honoring Our PACT Act—acknowledging the limits of proving causation decades after exposure.
Nonetheless, the proposed VET PFAS Act represents an effort to address this gap. At its core, the legislation would expand access to healthcare services and, where appropriate, disability compensation for veterans and eligible family members affected by PFAS exposure during active duty. A central provision of the proposal is also the establishment of presumptive service connection for specific conditions—thereby removing the requirement for affected individuals to independently demonstrate causation and instead recognizing the exposure as inherently linked to their service. Besides this, the measure correspondingly reflects a broader need to account for cumulative toxic exposures within the military system. With this, a responsive policy framework must therefore remain adaptable—ensuring that emerging scientific evidence is consistently integrated into how exposure risks are evaluated and addressed.
While the legislation has not yet been enacted, its consideration comes at a moment when National Military Appreciation Month invites renewed reflection on what meaningful support for veterans entails. In practical terms, advancing the VET PFAS Act would signal that recognition of service must extend beyond symbolic observance—reinforcing a commitment to timely and evidence-based action that aligns acknowledgment with sustained responsibility for veterans’ health and well-being.
About the Author
Cristina Johnson serves as a veteran advocate at the Asbestos Ships Organization, a nonprofit that raises awareness of veterans’ exposure to toxic substances.
The opinions in this editorial reflect the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine. To submit an editorial for consideration, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org.