Reaching out to veterans sickened by burn pit smoke

Texas veterans’ groups are teaming up with comedian Jon Stewart to help veterans who got sick after breathing in toxic fumes from giant burn pits used by the military during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

News 4 Trouble Shooter Jaie Avila investigated this in May and has an update on the latest effort to help those veterans.

Chris Carney of Converse is one of thousands of veterans who say their chronic health problems were caused by burn pits. The giant, open-air garbage incinerators were used by the military to burn medical waste, equipment and jet fuel.

"I remember going in quite a few times and having to stop doing what I was doing because of the smoke. I couldn't breathe," Carney told us last May.

A Texas organization called Burn Pits 360 wants to make it easier for veterans to get recognition and treatment from the VA. Here in San Antonio, Tim Jensen, of the military inspired clothing business Grunt Style, is also behind the cause.

"It's that secret killer. We've gone overseas, we've done our duty for our country, and we come back to know we are fighting a different fight, an invisible fight," Jensen said.

Jensen wants veterans to know about a conference on burn pit related illness that will be held online Friday evening, August 28th, at 6 p.m. Comedian Jon Stewart and other advocates will discuss new legislation being introduced in Congress in September.

That conference will be live-streamed on Grunt Style's Facebook page. Just click here to listen in.