Cold war veterans - 1945 - 1991

For more information, click on the campaign ribbon as well as the various links below:

For more information on Veterans' benefits or filing a VA Compensation Claim, you can contact veteran representatives from the New York State Division of Veterans' Services through our local County or State offices as well as the Federal government.      

Rockland County, New York has a local Veterans Service Agency located at 20 Squadron Blvd., Suite 480, New City, New York. Call to set up an appointment with one of the veteran counselors at 845-638-5244. It is staffed by veterans.  

The New York State Division of Veterans' Services is New York's advocacy agency for all Veterans, Service Members, and their families.  For over seven decades, the Division has connected generations of Veterans, Service Members, and their families and dependents to multiple economic, medical, and social benefits and services earned because of their military service.  For more information on Veteran's benefits, please make an appointment with a Veterans Benefits Advisor.  https://veterans.ny.gov     

A few locations where you can find New York State Division of Veterans' Services offices:  New York State Division of Veterans’ Services - VA Medical Center, P.O. Box 100 P.O. Box 100 2094 Albany Post Road Building 1 – Room 18 Montrose , NY 10548 Phone: (914) 788-4367  New York State Division of Veterans’ Services - West Point US Military Academy (every other Friday) 622 Swift Road Building 622, Room 113 West Point , NY 10996 Phone: (845) 831-2000 ext 215449   Orange County Veterans Service Agency 111 Craigville Road Goshen , NY 10924 Phone: (845) 291-2470 and Rockland County Veterans Service Agency - 20 Squadron Blvd., Suite 480, New City, New York. Call them at 845-638-5244. 

Cold War Veterans health issues:  If you served during the Cold War era—anytime between 1945 and 1991—you may be at risk of certain health conditions. 

What health risks should I know about related to service during the Cold War era? 

You may be at risk of illnesses or injuries caused by contact with: 

Radiation: A type of radiation exposure from atmospheric and underground nuclear weapons tests 

An odorless poisonous gas used in military tests in the 1940s 

Herbicides: Agent Orange and other herbicides used in Vietnam and tested or stored in other locations 

Occupational (job-related) hazards: Chemicals, paints, radiation, and other hazards you may have come in contact with through your military job 

Noise: Harmful sounds from guns, explosives, rockets, heavy weapons, jets and aircraft, and machinery that can cause or contribute to hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing in the ears) 

You may also be at risk of illnesses caused by contact with hazards found in certain projects and locations, such as: 

Projects 112 or Shipboard Hazard and Defense (SHAD): Military tests of chemical and biological warfare materials that took place in the 1960s to early 1970s 

The Atsugi Waste Incinerator: Combustion waste disposal that burned industrial and medical waste

The Edgewood/Aberdeen Experiments: Classified medical studies of low-dose chemical agents conducted from 1955 to 1975 

Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River: Sites of contaminated drinking water from August 1953 through December 1987 

Fort McClellan: Site of possible exposure to low levels of radioactive compounds and chemical warfare agents (mustard gas and nerve agents) and airborne polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) What should I do now?

What should I do now?  

Take these steps to make sure you’re taking care of your health:  

Talk to your primary health care provider or your local VA environmental health coordinator about any health concerns related to your military service. 

Find your local VA environmental health coordinator  

Ask your local VA environmental health coordinator about getting a free Ionizing Radiation Registry health exam. 

Find out if you can get disability compensation (monthly payments) and other benefits if you have an illness or injury caused—or made worse—by your active-duty service. 

See if you qualify for disability benefits due to contact with hazardous materials

VA Link to Cold War Veterans information: https://www.va.gov/health-care/health-needs-conditions/health-issues-related-to-service-era/cold-war/

VA Publication with information about VA Benefits: https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/benefits_book/2021_Federal_Benefits_for_Veterans_Dependents_and_survivors.pdf