1 · Where & when did you serve?
Check every one that fits. This runs entirely in your browser — nothing is sent anywhere.
Every PACT Act presumptive path
Reference for all veterans. A presumptive condition means the law already accepts that your service caused the exposure — so you skip the hardest part of a claim.
PACT Act — burn pits & airborne hazards (post-9/11)
Law: PACT Act of 2022; 38 U.S.C. 1119-1120; 38 CFR 3.320
Where it applies: Iraq, Afghanistan, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, Syria, Djibouti, Egypt, Yemen, Uzbekistan…
Presumptive conditions (VA concedes exposure — no nexus letter needed):
- asthma (diagnosed after service)
- chronic bronchitis
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- chronic rhinitis
- chronic sinusitis
- constrictive or obliterative bronchiolitis
- emphysema
- granulomatous disease
- interstitial lung disease (ILD)
- pleuritis
- pulmonary fibrosis
- sarcoidosis
- brain cancer
- glioblastoma
- gastrointestinal cancer of any type
- head cancer of any type
- neck cancer of any type
- kidney cancer
- lymphatic cancer of any type
- lymphoma of any type
- melanoma
- pancreatic cancer
- reproductive cancer of any type
- respiratory (breathing-related) cancer of any type
File as PRESUMPTIVE — no nexus letter needed; the burden shifts to VA. Prove: (1) covered service via medals/orders, (2) current diagnosis.
Join the VA Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry (AHOBPR) at va.gov, and ask your VA for the free PACT Act Toxic Exposure Screening — recommended for anyone with covered service; both strengthen your record.
Gulf War undiagnosed illness / MUCMI (Southwest Asia)
Law: 38 CFR 3.317
Where it applies: Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Southwest Asia, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Neutral Zone, Arabian Sea, Red Sea…
Presumptive conditions (VA concedes exposure — no nexus letter needed):
- chronic fatigue syndrome
- fibromyalgia
- functional GI disorders (IBS)
- undiagnosed multi-symptom illness (headaches, joint pain, fatigue, sleep, cognitive)
File as PRESUMPTIVE for qualifying chronic multi-symptom illness.
Agent Orange / herbicide (Vietnam era & expanded)
Law: 38 CFR 3.307(a)(6), 3.309(e); PACT Act expansions
Where it applies: Vietnam, Thailand, Korea, Korean DMZ, Cambodia, Laos, Guam, American Samoa, Johnston Atoll…
Presumptive conditions (VA concedes exposure — no nexus letter needed):
- ischemic heart disease
- type 2 diabetes
- Parkinson's disease
- several cancers (prostate, respiratory, soft-tissue sarcoma, etc.)
- peripheral neuropathy (early-onset)
- hypertension (added by PACT Act)
- ischemic/monoclonal conditions
File as PRESUMPTIVE if service in a covered location is shown.
Camp Lejeune contaminated water (1953–1987)
Law: Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022; 38 CFR 3.307(a)(7); 38 USC 1710(e)
Where it applies: Camp Lejeune, MCAS New River, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville, NC, Lejeune…
Presumptive conditions (VA concedes exposure — no nexus letter needed):
- adult leukemia
- aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
- bladder cancer
- kidney cancer
- liver cancer
- multiple myeloma
- non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Parkinson's disease
No nexus needed — prove 30+ days at Camp Lejeune/MCAS New River in the window plus a covered diagnosis. For conditions beyond these 8, file a separate Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA) administrative claim with the Navy JAG (Tort Claims Unit) — that is a lawsuit track, not a VA disability claim.
Radiation-exposed veterans (ionizing radiation)
Law: 38 CFR 3.309(d) & 3.311; 38 USC 1112(c)
Where it applies: Enewetak, Bikini Atoll, Nevada Test Site, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Palomares, Thule, Amchitka, Paducah, Portsmouth, Oak Ridge, K-25…
Presumptive conditions (VA concedes exposure — no nexus letter needed):
- leukemia (except chronic lymphocytic leukemia)
- multiple myeloma
- lymphomas (except Hodgkin's)
- thyroid cancer
- breast cancer
- cancer of the pharynx
- esophageal cancer
- stomach cancer
- cancer of the small intestine
- pancreatic cancer
- bile duct cancer
- gall bladder cancer
- primary liver cancer
- salivary gland cancer
- urinary tract / bladder cancer
- bone cancer
- brain cancer
- colon cancer
- lung cancer
- ovarian cancer
For the 3.309(d) cancers above: presumptive once radiation-risk activity is established (no nexus needed). For other cancers: request a radiation dose estimate and file under 3.311.
Not legal advice, and not the VA. Presumption isn't an automatic grant — you still need a current diagnosis and qualifying service. Verify covered locations and dates at va.gov/PACT. US Vet Help is a veteran-owned tool; you file your own claim.