Agent Orange Exposure Guide

Section 1

Where Was Agent Orange Used?

Agent Orange and other tactical herbicides were used in more locations than most veterans realize:

🇻🇳 Vietnam (1962-1975)

In-country, offshore, and airspace. Boots on ground, naval personnel, and flight crews.

🇹🇭 Thailand (1962-1975)

Royal Thai Military Bases — U-Tapao, Korat, Nakhon Phanom, Ubon, Udorn, Takhli, and Don Muang. Perimeter duty personnel especially affected.

🇰🇷 Korea (1968-1971)

DMZ area — units stationed along the Korean Demilitarized Zone during herbicide spraying.

🇺🇸 U.S. Test Sites

Gulfport, MS (NCBC); Fort Drum, NY; Camp Gruber, OK; Eglin AFB, FL; and other DoD testing locations.

✈️ C-123 Aircraft

Air Force Reservists and Active Duty who flew or maintained C-123 aircraft previously used to spray Agent Orange.

🇵🇦 Panama Canal Zone

Herbicide testing conducted in Panama from 1967-1968. Limited but documented exposure.

For a complete list of exposure locations by era, see our Exposure Locations Hub.

Section 2

Presumptive Diseases

If you were exposed to Agent Orange and develop any of these conditions, the VA presumes it was caused by your exposure — no nexus letter needed:

AL Amyloidosis

Bladder Cancer

Chronic B-Cell Leukemias

Chloracne (within 1 year of exposure)

Diabetes Mellitus Type 2

Hodgkin's Disease

Hypertension

Ischemic Heart Disease

Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS)

Multiple Myeloma

Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Parkinsonism

Parkinson's Disease

Peripheral Neuropathy, Early-Onset

Porphyria Cutanea Tarda

Prostate Cancer

Respiratory Cancers (lung, larynx, trachea, bronchus)

Soft Tissue Sarcomas

See our full Presumptive Conditions page for all presumptive categories across all eras.

Section 3

Blue Water Navy & Brown Water Navy

🚢 Blue Water Navy

Veterans who served on ships operating in the offshore waters of Vietnam during the Vietnam era.

Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 extended the presumption of herbicide exposure to these veterans.

Ships must have operated within the territorial seas of Vietnam (within 12 nautical miles of shore). The VA maintains a list of qualifying ships.

🛥️ Brown Water Navy

Veterans who served on inland waterways of Vietnam — rivers, deltas, harbors.

These veterans have always been presumed exposed to Agent Orange, similar to boots-on-ground veterans.

Includes Swift Boats, PBRs (Patrol Boat River), monitors, and other inland craft.

Section 4

Children's Birth Defect Benefits

Spina Bifida & Other Birth Defects

Children of veterans exposed to Agent Orange may be eligible for benefits:

👶 Spina Bifida: Children of ANY veteran exposed to covered herbicides in Vietnam or Korea may receive monthly payments and healthcare

👧 Other Birth Defects: Children of female Vietnam veterans may receive benefits for a wider range of covered birth defects

💰 Level I: $384/month

💰 Level II: $1,311/month

💰 Level III: $2,228/month

Section 5

Nehmer Class Action

The Nehmer v. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs class action lawsuit has been critical for Agent Orange veterans:

📅 Retroactive Effective Dates: When a new condition is added to the presumptive list, Nehmer requires the VA to go back and grant benefits from the date of the veteran's original claim — even if that was decades ago

💰 Massive Back Pay: Many veterans have received 10-20+ years of retroactive compensation when new presumptive conditions were added

📋 Automatic Review: The VA is required to automatically review previously denied claims when the presumptive list changes

⚠️ Applies to: Vietnam veterans, Blue Water Navy veterans, Thailand base veterans, and their survivors

Important: If you were previously denied for a condition that is now on the presumptive list, the VA should automatically review your claim. If they haven't, file a Supplemental Claim referencing the Nehmer settlement.

Section 6

How to File

1

Confirm your exposure. Vietnam boots on ground, Blue Water Navy ship list, Thailand base perimeter, C-123 crew, or test/storage site.

2

Get your diagnosis. Any condition on the presumptive list just needs a current diagnosis.

3

File VA Form 21-526EZ. List "herbicide agent (Agent Orange)" as the cause of your condition.

4

For presumptive conditions: You only need proof of service in an exposure location + current diagnosis.

5

For children's benefits: File VA Form 21-0304 for Spina Bifida benefits.

Pro tip: Use our Get Started guide for step-by-step filing instructions and our Document Checklist to make sure you have everything.