Each November 11, we pause as a nation to pay tribute to our Veterans. While we can never match their level of sacrifice, we must not lose sight of their service, and the fights that follow them even upon returning home.

Since September 11, 2001, more than 3.5 million American military service members deployed overseas have been exposed to hazardous toxins from burn pits, a common waste disposal practice at military sites in the Middle East. Burn pits are a cheap method of getting rid of chemicals, paint, petroleum, plastics that produce harmful smoke when inhaled in human lungs by soldiers living and working nearby during their deployments. 

Upon completing their tours of duty, servicemembers who lived near burn pits would come home and get sick. For many, walking up a flight of stairs became impossible, let alone the two-mile run required for military physical fitness tests. With limited screening options and a lack of knowledge about burn pits, assessment and treatment was an extremely difficult task, especially for a disease with no known cure and debilitating symptoms that worsen over time. 

Making matters worse, Veterans had to prove that their illness was connected to their service before accessing the care they so desperately needed. Watch an interview with military Veteran, Cindy Daniels, as she describes airborne toxin exposure and her journey.

Finally, two years ago, bipartisan members of Congress came together to pass the PACT Act that establishes a presumptive service connection for more than 20 different deployment related illnesses, including respiratory diseases. No longer would the burden of proof between health issues and burn pit exposure fall on sick servicemembers.

PACT was a positive step. To build on the progress, 4DMedical has developed new, advanced, lung imaging software that can provide doctors with unprecedented 

information and data about the condition of Veterans’ lungs. Additionally, this data can be used to triage Veterans and expedite care. 

4DMedical is a Veteran-created and focused company, dedicated to helping all Veterans impacted by service-related lung conditions. 4DMedical is proud to support efforts addressing the toxic wounds of war, through advocacy, research, and outreach.

If you’re interested in learning more, visit  4dmedical.com/register

On this Veterans Day, don’t forget to thank a Veteran for standing up for freedom. And then remember that that standing by our Veterans is not something that should be limited to Veterans Day. It’s a tall task that requires all of us working together every day.

Watch an Interview with veteran Cindy Daniels and Hear:

• How Cindy learned about constrictive bronchiolitis and began pushing the VA for answers on her condition. 
• Why the PACT Act has made a major change by adding over 20+ more presumptive conditions for burn pits and other toxic exposures, like Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. 
• Dr. Greg Mogel offers a deep dive into the information made available by four-dimensional, functional lung imaging exams like those provided by 4DMedical. A pattern of ventilation heterogeneity is visible for the very first time with 4D’s revolutionary technology, providing never-before-seen insights into regional lung function and examining areas of the lung with restrictive change.