For Vietnam vets, some vets who served along the Korean DMZ, and some Air Force vets who served on C-123s used for spraying agent orange, the Agent Orange Act of 1991 was welcome, and long-needed, legislation. This Act resulted in the VA creating a list of presumptive conditions resulting from agent orange exposure, making the disability compensation process easier for these vets for these named illnesses. The agent orange presumptive conditions list includes 8 types of cancer, and 9 "other illnesses." The complete list of presumptive conditions can be found at Agent Orange Exposure | Veterans Affairs (va.gov).
A veteran can be successful with their disability compensation claim for one of these conditions if he/she proves (1) exposure to agent orange and (2) a current disability/illness from the presumptive conditions list. Proving exposure can be as simple as serving in Vietnam, at specific times and locations along the Korean DMZ, or in certain Air Force units associated with the C-123s. Additionally, the Blue Water Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 extended this presumption to Navy veterans whose ships maneuvered in waters within twelve nautical miles of Vietnam.
Agent orange exposure is not limited to the veterans indicated above, however. Veterans who do not fall into those categories can also benefit from the agent orange presumptions by proving actual exposure to agent orange, such as veterans who served in Thailand as well as some U.S. military installations. We assist veterans with determining whether or not they qualify for this presumption.