Retrieving Evidence Overseas???

[CH88]

Hello, 

I have been and still currently looking for evidence to support my claim. I hope there is someone out there that has done this before or could guide me into the right direction. I was stationed in South Korea Camp Humphrey's. I was a cook in a dining facility on this post, while serving overseas in this dining hall we were told that there was a mold/fungi exposure in our ventilation system. I am looking for anyway possible to retrieve this inspection report. Does anybody know how to contact a overseas duty station such as this and secondly which specific ARMY unit would be conducting such inspections of buildings? Any information would be great as I continue to hit wall after wall.

Thnx in advance. 

[broncovet]

I probably would suggest a google voice phone number.  REason:  My son calls me FROM ENGLAND at "0" cost.  Then you could locate the phone number and call people in that area to help you.  

It certainly would not hurt if you could communicate with them.  Of course, you will need to find someone on the other end who can speak English, OR, learn enough of that language to say something like,

"How do I order a copy of my medical records from your hosptial" in their language.  

[Berta]

Will any of these reports help?:

In part:

“Among the other findings:

• At U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan, the inspection found a lack of follow-up reports on three housing units previously found to have high radon levels.

• At U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys, mold — a common problem during South Korea’s humid summers — was found in housing units due to inconsistent upkeep of air handling and ventilation systems, and no data on levels of radon, a gas linked to lung cancer, was available.

• Osan Air Base had not addressed elevated radon levels at some buildings, and along with Camps Walker and Henry, did not have mandated radon reduction programs in place.

• Osan had only one Airman Dormitory Leader per 340 rooms; the Air Force’s maximum ratio is one ADL per 145 rooms. At Kunsan Air Base, each ADL was responsible for an average of more than 200 rooms.”

•  

• This report was dated October 2014

The Stars and Stripes article is probably referring to this IG_DD report:

https://media.defense.gov/2014/Oct/28/2001713418/-1/-1/1/DODIG-2015-013.pdf

 

https://www.stripes.com/news/ig-reports-hundreds-of-housing-code-violations-on-us-bases-in-south-korea-1.311168

This is a 2017 Update on Camp Humphreys from the DOD IG:

https://www.oversight.gov/sites/default/files/oig-reports/DODIG-2017-104.pdf

Also there are 96 Camp Humphreys decisions at the BVA, but many go back prior to the dates in these reports.

https://www.index.va.gov/search/va/bva.jsp

I have had problems accessing the BVA- many you could-just put Camp Humphrey into the search feature and then add mold or any disability that you feel is attributable to the mold.

What disability do you have that you feel is due to mold exposure.?

Also just about every Military Unit has a web site- some have reunion rosters and other ways to contact unit members.

I found the above links on Camp Humphrey's environmental problems in mere seconds, and there is more if you use Google. 

Edited October 8, 2018 by Berta
added more

[Berta]

Also this Facebook page might help:

https://www.facebook.com/usaghumphreys/videos/sfc-shawn-welsh-talks-about-mold-issues/10154495186653749/

 

[CH88]

Hey Berta and BroncoVet, 

Thanks. I was using yahoo for most my searches and would only result in 6-7 results. I will attempt to retrieve this data one way or another. I guess I am not sure who actually conducts inspection on military barracks, dining facilities, gyms, etc? I would like to find a way to contact these 3rd party inspection organizations or find out if it is actually military units doing these inspections. Any information is useful, as the DAV I am working with doesn't know how to get these types of records either. 

I am attempting to service connect my sinusitis or allergic rhinitis. I was diagnosed with these two items that haven't gone away. I had symptoms that have persisted and continue to do so. The diagnoses wasn't in service but I believe was within a year of ETS. Any thoughts would be helpful.

Also, I served in Camp Humphreys South Korea from 2010-2012, my unit that I am looking information on is 602nd 2ID. The dining facility was the Talon Cafe. Thanx

Edited October 9, 2018 by CH88

[Berta]

As the 2017 IG report says, the military inspections had been ,in some cases, faulty.

I  suggest that you try to contact your unit on line and see if you can find any other vets inj your unit  that might have been affected by mold or radon.

Also I strongly suggest you send a FOIA (Freedon of Information Act) request to the Defense Department's Inspector General and ask specifically who did the inspections...if it isn't mentioned in the links here-

http://www.dodig.mil/FOIA/Submit-FOIA/

This contains the address, or you can file the FOIA on line, or send by Fax.

 

 

 

 

 

[CH88]

Thank you for this information. I will utilize the website and put in a request. I let you know if this website provides useful information that away other veterans are able to utilize this as well.