In 2001, the Air Force Institute for Operational Health did a site evaluation and sampled for potential chemical and biological contaminants at Malmstrom after cases of various cancers from missileers were reported - including cervical, thyroid, Hodgkin lymphoma and two cases of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in which those patients died, according to a report issued in 2005. Overall, eight of the 36 missileers with cancer diagnoses, the majority of whom served at Malmstrom sometime between 19, have died. Two developed Hodgkin lymphoma, and 24 developed another form of cancer. In the 36 cancer cases among missileers the Space Force officer detailed in January, 10 were diagnosed as Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming and Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, maintain and operate more than 400 missile silos from which the country's nuclear-capable Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles can be fired - a key part of the nuclear triad.Īt those duty stations, missileers are exposed to a variety of chemicals and toxins, ranging from paint in small spaces, to fumes from burning classified documents, to aerial asbestos and radon exposure. Saltzman said he wants to wait until the findings from a study examining the potential cancer link are released to speak definitively about it. More than 400 of the Space Force's current officers are former Air Force missileers, a sizable figure when the Space Force consists of a little more than 8,000 military personnel. We don't need to wait for a study to emphasize that." "I think that's the most important thing. Go see a health professional and ask all your questions, and get the help that you need," he said. "If you think you need help, go get help and go get screened.
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