U.S. Africa Command and Navy officials at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti said corrective action was being taken to address issues raised by the Defense Department’s Office of the Inspector General regarding troops exposed to toxic air in the African base. (Stars and Stripes)

U.S. Navy officials in charge of the main military operating base in Africa put their troops at higher risk of exposure to toxic air by failing to comply with environmental safety requirements, a Defense Department investigation found .

A whistleblower complaint alleging that command staff at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti ignored ongoing dangerous air quality conditions prompted the inspector general to open an investigation.

U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa have not identified actions to mitigate the impact of poor air quality on deployed personnel, the IG said in a report released Nov. 20. The IG also said Navy officials overseeing the camp did not adequately brief the new service members. and civilians from Djibouti’s poor air quality and associated medical risks.

On Friday, U.S. Africa Command and Navy officials said corrective action was being taken.

“AFRICOM is working with (U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa) to ensure military personnel have access to the most up-to-date information on potential exposures and appropriate documentation of environmental air quality measurements professional will follow service members throughout their careers,” AFRICOM said. in a statement.

Service members complete the fitness leader certification course at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, November 2024. Base officials encourage personnel to conduct non-essential activities indoors when poor fitness conditions air are observed. (Facebook/Camp Lemonnier)

The IG said the Navy’s lack of a plan meant AFRICOM could not determine whether the air quality at Camp Lemonnier, which is in the heart of a city with a history of waste incineration , has deteriorated over the past six years.

“Such exposure can negatively impact the health of those in the field and decrease readiness, forcing DoD to incur costs for veteran care that could be avoided through notification and reporting procedures. “appropriate mitigation,” Inspector General Robert Storch said in a statement.

Exposure to toxic air has long been a health concern for U.S. troops deployed around the world. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where many service members were exposed to toxins incinerated in burn pits, have highlighted the various health problems veterans face.

In 2022, Congress passed legislation expanding health care and disability benefits for millions of veterans exposed to such toxins during their careers.

In the city of Djibouti, the capital of the country of the same name, the problem mainly concerns the incineration of residential waste near Camp Lemonnier, where around 4,000 American troops are based.

Between June and July, the IG conducted its own assessment of the air in the city and found that air quality was consistently well above the level that the World Health Organization identifies as safe for human health.

The base encourages personnel to go indoors for non-mission-essential activities when air quality is poor, Navy officials said.

AFRICOM said it would ensure a wide range of reforms were implemented by spring next year. The measures include staffing requirements and deadlines for annual environmental reviews at Camp Lemonnier and other deployed locations, AFRICOM said.