The Monster than Followed Him Home from War. Le Roy Torres…

The Monster than Followed Him Home from War.

Le Roy Torres came home from his deployment in Iraq with a sickness he could neither explain nor shake: crushing headaches, fogs of vertigo, an increasingly harsh cough.

It took years of tests to prove what Mr. Torres suspected: His lungs and brain were damaged from exposure to military burn pits. Burn pits were a standard garbage disposal method used by the U.S. military during the early years of the post-9/11 conflicts; their aftereffects are still emerging.

Mr. Torres, a TX State Trooper couldn’t patrol anymore but says he nevertheless fought to keep his job, submitting a list of duties he could still handle. His bosses, he said, insisted he patrol and suggested that if he couldn’t do the job, he should resign. He handed over his badge and gun and later sued the Texas Department of Public Safety, saying he was discriminated against for his military service.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear some of this story on March 29, when justices consider whether Mr. Torres can sue a state government under federal laws shielding troops and veterans from job discrimination and retaliation

From a story for the @nytimes from @leslie.delavega

#reportage #portrait #soldier #veteran #burnpits @sonyalpha
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