Military Base PFAS Exposure: What Veterans and Families Need to Know

For decades, the U.S. military used aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) — a firefighting suppressant loaded with PFAS chemicals — to train firefighters, fight aircraft fires, and test emergency response systems at bases around the world. That routine use contaminated groundwater and drinking water supplies at hundreds of installations, exposing service members, their families, and neighboring civilians to toxic levels of PFAS compounds. This is what affected veterans and families need to know.

How AFFF Contaminated Military Bases

AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam) was developed in the 1960s as a highly effective suppressant for hydrocarbon fuel fires. It was adopted by military branches as the standard firefighting agent for aircraft hangars, fuel depots, and fire training facilities. The foam contains PFOS, PFOA, and related compounds — the same chemicals now known to cause cancer and other serious health conditions.

Over decades of training exercises and incident responses, enormous volumes of AFFF were applied to soil and drainage areas at military installations. PFAS chemicals don't break down. They leached into groundwater, contaminated wells, and found their way into base drinking water supplies. In many cases, service members and their families were drinking PFAS-contaminated water for years — sometimes decades — without any warning.

The Department of Defense began formally investigating PFAS contamination at military installations in 2016 after EPA guidance lowered the acceptable health advisory level for PFOS and PFOA. The investigation revealed contamination at more than 700 installations, making the military the largest single source of PFAS drinking water contamination in the United States.

Documented High-Contamination Bases

The following are among the most significantly contaminated military installations. If you or a family member was stationed at one of these locations, your exposure history is well-documented:

• Horsham Air Guard Station / Naval Air Station Willow Grove (Pennsylvania): Contaminated the drinking water supplies of surrounding communities in Montgomery County. Multiple municipal water systems tested far above safe limits. Active litigation involving thousands of residents and base personnel.
• Camp Lejeune (North Carolina): Best known for other chemical contamination in the 1950s-80s, Camp Lejeune also has documented AFFF-related PFAS contamination in more recent decades.
• Pease Air National Guard Base (New Hampshire): One of the first bases where PFAS contamination was publicly disclosed (2014). Contaminated the Haven well system serving thousands of civilians and base personnel.
• Travis Air Force Base (California): Contamination detected in on-base water systems and nearby private wells. One of the largest air bases in the country.
• Peterson Space Force Base / Schriever Air Force Base (Colorado): Both bases documented elevated PFAS in groundwater monitoring.
• Tyndall Air Force Base (Florida): Extensive AFFF use at this flight training and testing facility led to groundwater contamination in the Panama City area.
• Fairchild Air Force Base (Washington): Contamination in on-base monitoring wells and nearby areas.
• McChord Air Force Base / Joint Base Lewis-McChord (Washington): One of the most contaminated bases on the West Coast.

This list represents a fraction of the documented sites. The Environmental Working Group's military PFAS database contains searchable data on hundreds of installations.

Who Is Most At Risk

Several groups face elevated exposure risk at military bases:

Military firefighters: Aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) personnel applied AFFF directly and repeatedly throughout their careers. Occupational exposure through skin contact, inhalation of foam aerosols, and ingestion of contaminated water at fire training areas represents some of the highest PFAS body burdens documented.

Service members who lived in base housing: On-base residential areas often drew drinking water from base well systems. Families living in contaminated housing areas consumed PFAS-contaminated water for the duration of their assignment.

Civilian base workers: Federal employees and contractors who worked at contaminated installations also face elevated exposure risk, particularly those working near fire training areas or fuel depots.

Neighboring civilians: PFAS from base contamination frequently migrated off-base into municipal water systems and private wells. Civilians who lived near bases and used affected water sources have documented exposure even without military service.

Qualifying Health Conditions for Legal Claims

PFAS-linked conditions most commonly associated with military base AFFF exposure include:

• Kidney cancer (renal cell carcinoma)
• Testicular cancer
• Thyroid cancer and thyroid disease (hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism)
• Bladder cancer
• Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (emerging evidence)
• High cholesterol and elevated cardiovascular risk
• Ulcerative colitis

How Military PFAS Claims Work

PFAS personal injury claims arising from military base contamination are typically filed in MDL 2873 (the AFFF Products Liability Litigation, consolidated in the District of South Carolina). The MDL names as defendants the manufacturers of AFFF products — primarily 3M, DuPont/Chemours, Tyco Fire Products (a Johnson Controls subsidiary), and others who manufactured or distributed AFFF.

Importantly, you are suing the manufacturers of AFFF — not the U.S. government. Claims against the government are generally barred by sovereign immunity and the Feres doctrine. The legal theory against AFFF manufacturers is that they knew their products contained PFAS, knew those chemicals were toxic, and failed to warn the military or the public about the health risks.

For veterans who have service-connected disabilities related to PFAS exposure, VA benefits may be available separately. In 2024, the VA expanded coverage for certain conditions linked to PFAS exposure at contaminated military sites. Consulting a veterans' benefits attorney alongside your PFAS personal injury attorney can help you pursue all available avenues.

Documenting Military PFAS Exposure

To build a military PFAS claim, your attorney will need:

• Military service records showing your duty stations and dates of service
• Records documenting base housing or work locations (housing office records, unit assignment records)
• DoD or EPA contamination data for the specific installations where you were stationed
• PFAS blood serum test results, if available
• Medical records documenting your qualifying diagnosis