OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 10:25 AM PT — Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Concerns over the conditions of an airbase in Uzbekistan are growing
as more veterans are reporting health problems. The Karshi-Khanabad air
base, commonly referred to as K2, is reportedly filled with toxic
material.More than 300 veterans who served at the base are now saying they have cancer. The U.S. Army has reported 61 confirmed cases. Some officials believe Russia may have used the base as a dumping ground for hazardous waste.
“They buried nuclear waste, chemicals, fuels, mustard gas…it was just where they buried all their excess,” explained Scott Welsh, a retired Army Chief Warrant Officer.
Around 7,000 troops were sent to K2 from 2001 to 2005, following the September 11th terrorist attacks. Troops stationed at the base started seeing peculiarities like black goo and a glowing pond they nicknamed the “skittles pond.” Another strange occurrence included large holes at the front of their six-man tents with some dubiously covered with pallets.
“We had a gigantic hole and we were like ‘that’s strange,’ so we just started using the back tent flap and we didn’t ask questions because we just had to, you know, continue mission and go to work…do what we do everyday,” Welsh continued.
The veterans have started a private Facebook group to check-in on each other and to track reported illnesses as well as deaths. 12 members have died so far, with 10 of those deaths caused from some form of cancer.
Last month, the House Oversight and Reform Committee sent letters to the Departments of Defense and Veteran Affairs requesting information on the hazardous conditions. Veterans will be going to Washington, D.C. this week to meet with members of Congress.
