United States military veterans who served at the Uzbekistan base dubbed as 'toxic soup', have been battling for adequate care for the past two decades following its closure.
URGENT APPEAL FOR DEFENSE DEPARTMENT TO INVESTIGATE HEALTH HAZARDS AT KARSHI-KHANABAD AIR BASE
Congressman Mark Green (R-TN) has renewed his call for a comprehensive study into the potential link between service at Karshi-Khanabad Air Base (K2) in Uzbekistan and the illnesses many veterans have developed after toxic exposure.
Once a Soviet base and later a CIA black site and US military base, K2 was a launchpad for US operations in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks. However, it may have been a death sentence for thousands of American troops who served there.
Matthew "Nick" Nicholls, an Army environmental technician, was part of a team that assessed the environmental hazards at K2 in its early days. He warned commanders about the dangerous chemicals oozing from the ground, jet fuel contaminating the soil and air, and toxic fumes hanging over the base.
Many US veterans who served at K2 between 2001 and 2005 have reported a disturbing trend of rare, aggressive cancers, reproductive organ diseases, osteoarthritis, and sudden, unexplained deaths.
Researchers have excavated Soviet-era jet fuel from the base, and images show visible "yellowcake" found in the ground. The veterans' tales of illness and premature deaths remain largely untold, according to Nicholls.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recognizes that veterans may have encountered hazardous exposures at K2, and the Department of Defense has conducted initial studies to examine cancer outcomes. However, these studies have focused on a limited number of cases and should not be seen as definitive evidence of an association with service at K2, according to the VA.
Rep. Green's spokesperson expresses concerns that the initial studies did not take the full extent of contamination into account and did not adequately inform or protect occupants of the base from their exposure risk or account for the range of diseases that can result from toxic exposures.
Green and Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) introduced a provision in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act requiring the Pentagon to complete a study on K2 exposure within 180 days. Yet, four years later, that study remains unfinished.
"These people went there right after 9/11 to avenge the deaths of those who were murdered," Nicholls said. "Yet we had this launching pad in Uzbekistan that was left in such derelict condition by the Soviets."
The VA moved to expand access to disability for K2 veterans and lower the burden of proof for linking their illnesses to their service in 2024. However, advocates argue it wasn't enough.
Green has also introduced legislation requiring the VA to formally recognize links between K2 toxic exposure and diseases such as cancer, ensuring affected veterans qualify for care and benefits. The current status of official studies on the health effects of toxic chemical exposure at K2 remains incomplete despite ongoing calls for action from Congress and advocacy groups.
[1] Green, M. (May 2025). Letter to the Pentagon.[2] our website Digital. (Retrieved May 2025). Images of yellowcake uranium and jet fuel at K2 base. [Online]. Available: https://ourwebsitedigital.com/resources/k2-base-images[3] Green, M. (2025). Press release on K2 veterans' health concerns. [Online]. Available: https://markgreen.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=479[4] Congress of the United States. (2021). National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021 (H.R.6395). Retrieved from: congress.gov[5] U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2024). K2 base health conditions update. [Online]. Available: https://www.va.gov/k2base-health-conditions/
- The ongoing issue of potential health hazards at the Karshi-Khanabad Air Base (K2) has sparked a call for action from Congressman Mark Green, who has requested a thorough investigation into the link between service at K2 and the illnesses many veterans have developed after toxic exposure.
- In some concerning general news, numerous US veterans, who served at K2 between 2001 and 2005, have reported a range of chronic diseases, including rare cancers, reproductive organ diseases, osteoarthritis, and sudden, unexplained deaths.
- As part of the science community, researchers have unearthed Soviet-era jet fuel from the base, and visible "yellowcake" has been found in the ground, raising concerns about the health and wellness of those who served there.
- The politics surrounding this issue is complex, with Congressman Green and Rep. Stephen Lynch introducing provisions in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, requiring the Pentagon to conduct a study on K2 exposure within 180 days. However, four years later, that study remains unfinished.
- Concurrently, the crime and justice aspect of this issue have led to advocates arguing that the VA's moves to expand access to disability for K2 veterans and lower the burden of proof for linking their illnesses to their service in 2024, were not enough. Green has also introduced legislation to ensure that veterans affected by K2 toxic exposure qualify for care and benefits, but the official studies on the health effects of toxic chemical exposure at K2 remain incomplete.
