Soldiers and their families living inside of Fort Bliss, Texas, have enough to worry about without being exposed to dangerous asbestos debris in their homes. Unfortunately, that hasn’t stopped the dangerous substance from turning up in the Van Horne Housing Development inside of the Army post.
Asbestos exposure is recognized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the World Health Organization, and a wide variety of other health and environmental organizations as very dangerous to human health. Accidental ingestion or inhalation of microscopic asbestos fibers has been known to cause several serious illnesses including mesothelioma, a terminal cancer of the tissue surrounding the body’s vital organs.
The asbestos problems in Fort Bliss are brewing along with other dangerous substance concerns such as toxic mold and lead paint, which have allegedly caused illness in some enlisted men’s children. It appears as if these health concerns weren’t met with appropriate alarm or resolution, and in fact weren’t addressed with gusto until a Fox News Affiliate began following the story. Allegations that fort commanders downplayed the problem and intimidated soldiers into silence have not been addressed, according to KFOX14 reporters.
These types of issues create concerns about the fair treatment of military personnel, and raise the question of whether the US military command structure takes advantage of its authoritative relationship with soldiers.
Garrison Commander Col. Leonard Wells said last Thursday that families in the Van Horne Community had been notified by letter of the asbestos debris problem, which, according to him, is due to the demolition of older homes years before. The asbestos was reportedly present as an additive in a siding product known as ACS, which in itself presents only a low hazard as the dangerous fibers would be trapped inside of the siding. Asbestos contamination due to demolition, however, is always dangerous as it breaks apart the materials and releases asbestos fibers into the air.
Asbestos exposure may seem like just another drop in the bucket for many soldiers. Between the attitude of rugged tolerance pressed onto soldiers through military culture and the awareness of other daily hazards like exposure to dangerous radiation from working in and around Fort Bliss’s radar systems training facilities, many enlisted men may find that shrugging the dangers of asbestos off is second nature.
According to Wells, Fort Bliss officials plan on containing the debris, moving out families in the contaminated areas, and eventually removing the asbestos altogether. In the meantime, families will just have to “soldier” through it.
