Camp Lejeune Presumptive Conditions: The 8 Diseases and 30-Day Rule

VA presumes eight conditions were caused by the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune: kidney cancer, liver cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, adult leukemia, multiple myeloma, Parkinson's disease, aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes, and bladder cancer (38 C.F.R. § 3.309(f)). You qualify if you served at least 30 days, consecutive or not, at Camp Lejeune or Marine Corps Air Station New River between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987. Reservists and National Guard members are included.

With a listed condition and that service, you do not need a nexus letter to connect the condition to the water. You need the diagnosis and proof you were there.

The eight presumptive conditions

1. 1Kidney cancer
2. 2Liver cancer
3. 3Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
4. 4Adult leukemia
5. 5Multiple myeloma
6. 6Parkinson's disease
7. 7Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
8. 8Bladder cancer

Each can show up at any time after service, as long as it reaches a degree of 10 percent or more (38 C.F.R. § 3.307(a)(7)(ii)). There is no window that closes after you leave.

Who qualifies

Under 38 C.F.R. § 3.307(a)(7)(iii), you are presumed exposed if you had:

• No less than 30 days of service, consecutive or not,
• within the borders of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune or Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina,
• between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987,
• as shown by military orders or other official service department records.

It covers veterans and former reservists and National Guard members. For reservists and Guard members, the regulation treats the exposure itself as the in-service injury, which is what lets someone whose only time was on training orders qualify.

The contaminants named in the regulation are trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), benzene, and vinyl chloride in the base water systems.

Proving the 30 days

The 30 days add up across separate stays. Short schools, training periods, and temporary duty all count if records show them. Useful records include:

• Orders and travel claims showing dates at Camp Lejeune or New River
• Personnel records and unit assignments
• Your DD-214 and, for reservists, retirement points or drill records

If you are not sure your records show it, request your personnel file and C-file before you file.

If your condition is not on the list

A condition outside the eight can still be service-connected, but without the shortcut. You would need a medical opinion that your exposure to the water is at least as likely as not the cause, grounded in your records and medical literature. A secondary route may also fit, for example a condition caused by treatment for one of the listed cancers. See secondary service connection.

VA compensation is separate from a lawsuit

Camp Lejeune has also been the subject of a federal law that allows lawsuits over the water. That is a court claim, handled separately from VA disability compensation, and this guide doesn't cover it. A VA claim for one of the eight conditions goes through VA on Form 21-526EZ like any other.

What to put in the claim

• The diagnosis, from treatment records.
• The dates at Camp Lejeune or New River, and the records that show at least 30 days.
• The presumption, named. Say the condition is presumptive under 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(f).

The condition is then rated on its own criteria. For cancers, VA generally rates active disease at 100 percent and later rates the residuals after treatment ends, which is often when the rating drops. Knowing that in advance helps; see Can VA reduce your rating?.

The Service Exposure Finder checks your duty stations against the Camp Lejeune window. If you have your records, you can upload them; the first 150 pages are read free.

Frequently asked questions

What are the Camp Lejeune presumptive conditions?

Kidney cancer, liver cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, adult leukemia, multiple myeloma, Parkinson's disease, aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes, and bladder cancer, under 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(f).

How long did I have to be at Camp Lejeune?

At least 30 days, consecutive or not, between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987, at Camp Lejeune or Marine Corps Air Station New River.

Do reservists and National Guard members qualify?

Yes. The regulation covers former reservists and National Guard members who meet the same 30-day rule, as shown by orders or other official records.

Can I claim a condition that is not one of the eight?

Yes, but you would need a medical opinion linking it to the contaminated water. The presumption only applies to the eight listed conditions.