I came back from my year in the desert with a persistent cough. (Yes, only one year. I was just an Air Force comm troop after all). After awhile you start to wonder what's going on (Gulf War Syndrome? Nile River Virus? Hammurabi Flu?)
Turns out I had developed some kind of allergy-like symptoms easily taken care of by an over the counter Claritin when needed.
Then I read about this guy and others who say they have debilitating symptoms because of Balad's burn pit. (Balad is northwest of Baghdad, for those who've never had the pleasure taking that blackhawk ride up the Tigris.)
Breathing smoke as a Fobbit is nothing compared to what the combat troops go through, but I can sympathize. I had my own encounters with the Balad Burn pit. Here's a picture I took, I don't know why...
I can vouch that it really stunk, but so does cordite from a mortar attack when your tent's air handling unit sucks it in as the sirens are going off... There were days when it swept across the base, but usually it just plumed up into the sky...
