Radiation Exposure (Atomic Veterans)

Who is an 'Atomic Veteran'

• Participants in U.S. atmospheric nuclear tests between 1945 and 1962 (Operations Crossroads, Sandstone, Greenhouse, Castle, Redwing, Hardtack, Dominic, etc.).
• U.S. occupation forces in Hiroshima or Nagasaki between August 6, 1945 and July 1, 1946.
• POWs in Japan during the same period.
• Personnel assigned to gaseous diffusion plants (Paducah KY, Portsmouth OH, Oak Ridge K-25) under specific dates.
• Enewetak Atoll cleanup participants (1977–1980).
• Palomares, Spain B-52 incident cleanup (1966) and Thule, Greenland B-52 incident cleanup (1968) — added by the PACT Act of 2022.

Presumptive radiogenic conditions (38 CFR § 3.309(d))

• Leukemia (other than chronic lymphocytic leukemia)
• Multiple myeloma
• Lymphomas (except Hodgkin's disease)
• Cancers of the thyroid, breast, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, pancreas, bile ducts, gall bladder, salivary gland, urinary tract, brain, bone, lung, colon, ovary, and primary liver cancer
• Bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma

Other radiogenic diseases under 38 CFR § 3.311

Conditions not on the § 3.309(d) presumptive list can still be service-connected as 'radiogenic diseases' under 38 CFR § 3.311. The VA refers the claim to the Under Secretary for Health, who obtains a dose reconstruction from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and an opinion on whether the disease is at least as likely as not the result of the in-service radiation exposure.

This is a slower path than the § 3.309(d) presumption but it is the only route for, e.g., chronic lymphocytic leukemia, prostate cancer, kidney cancer, and many other cancers not on the presumptive list.

Documentation that strengthens a claim

• DD Form 1141 (Record of Occupational Exposure to Ionizing Radiation), if one exists in your record.
• Unit assignment records placing you at a covered test, occupation, or cleanup operation.
• DTRA Nuclear Test Personnel Review (NTPR) confirmation letter, if previously requested.
• Lay statements from fellow participants describing your duties.

Where these claims break down

• ×Assuming all radiation-related cancers are presumptive — many require the slower § 3.311 dose-reconstruction path.
• ×Not requesting your DTRA NTPR participation letter early; it is the single most useful piece of evidence.
• ×Filing without documenting which test, operation, or cleanup you participated in.
• ×Overlooking Enewetak, Palomares, and Thule — these were added more recently and many veterans who served there do not realize they qualify.

Frequently Asked Questions