Hundreds of troops and their families have reported cancer diagnoses and other illnesses.
The U.S. Air Force has identified hazardous levels of a probable carcinogen at underground launch control centers in a Montana nuclear missile base, a location where a concerning number of personnel have reported cancer diagnoses. As a result, a new cleanup initiative has been instated.
This detection “is the first from an extensive sampling of active U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile bases to address specific cancer concerns raised by missile community members,” Air Force Global Strike Command stated.
The examination exposed elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), oily or waxy substances labeled as a potential carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency, at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. This discovery has prompted immediate cleanup measures under the command of General Thomas Bussiere to mitigate exposure risks.
The relatively small missileer community consists of a few hundred airmen serving at each of the country’s three silo-launched Minuteman III, intercontinental ballistic missile bases in any given year. Despite its size, at least 268 troops who served at nuclear missile sites or their surviving family members have self-reported cancer diagnoses or other illnesses over the past decades, according to the Torchlight Initiative. This development has caused concern, as it surpasses the expected rate of cancer in the general population.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Defense Secretary Austin as he heads the U.S. Armed Forces.
- For Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall to be led by God as he leads his military branch.
- For General Bussiere as he oversees the cleanup of the carcinogens on the nuclear base.
- For the troops and their families who have been exposed and sickened by toxic exposure.
Sources: AP, Air Force Times
