Firefighters are exposed to environmental hazards in their line of work. The same thing can be said for military personnel, who also face radiation and chemical hazards. Military firefighters, due to their specialized line of work, are facing extremely high risks of developing medical conditions from chemical exposure, especially from decades of using aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). When AFFF was introduced in the 1960s for military airports, hangars, and bases, military firefighters were unaware of the risks associated with using a seemingly harmless foam that was the most effective solution for fuel fires.
Decades later, the U.S. military remains the largest user of AFFF in the world, with portable extinguishers and AFFF systems installed in hundreds of military installations. The cancer-causing chemicals in the foam, called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), can accumulate in the blood serum or organs of exposed individuals, and military firefighters are at high risk. If you worked as a military firefighter, you may have documentation of your AFFF exposure from the following duties and activities:
- Fire academy Class B fire training logs may document foam exposure during liquid fire suppression drills.
- Tactical firefighting truck operations, given those vehicles hold roughly 60 US gallons of AFFF and can expose up to six firefighters per run.
- Field drills or work near areas frequently sprayed with AFFF, where PFAS compounds tend to accumulate in training environments.
- Work around AFFF storage or equipment involved in leaks or spills (e.g., the August 2024 malfunction at Brunswick Naval Air Station that drained the foam tanks of four wall cannons and released 1,450 gallons of foam and 50,000 gallons of water).
- Completing shipboard firefighting training that required handling AFFF equipment and running through simulated fuel fire responses as part of qualification.
- Holding emergency firefighting duties at a station or aboard a ship, with the expectation of responding to real AFFF-involved fires at short notice.
- Service on a cutter or ship fitted with fixed AFFF systems, where maintenance, testing, and routine drills involved direct foam contact.
- Responding to specific exposure events such as system failures, accidental discharges, or concentrate spills during AFFF storage and transfer.
In August 2025, the Department of Defense delayed the AFFF ban for one more year. According to the DoD Secretary, the transition to fluorine-free foam in the military is complicated and time-consuming. With this extension, the new deadline for ending the use of AFFF in military sites is October 1, 2026. With many months before the phase out, military firefighters continue to get cumulative exposure to AFFF, which may result in higher PFAS serum levels and increased risks of AFFF-related cancer.
Relevant job titles
- Fire Protection Specialist (Air Force)
- Damage Controlman (Navy)
- Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) Specialists
- Expeditionary Firefighting and Rescue (EFR) Specialist
- Driver Operator
- Fire Chief
- Station Chief
- Aircraft Carrier
- Marine Corps Firefighter MOS 7011
- Air Force Firefighter
- Navy Firefighter
- Flight Deck
Military firefighters are eligible for AFFF claims
You may qualify for an AFFF claim (and a VA claim) if you worked as a military firefighter and you’ve been diagnosed with one of the following conditions that have been strongly associated with AFFF.
ELG Law attorneys can give you a free case evaluation if you submit the documentary requirements. We only need to verify your military records with documentation of your AFFF use and your medical documents showing your cancer diagnosis. If you believe you are eligible, contact ELG Law as soon as possible.