Cross & York Editorial
PACT Act Locations: Which Service Areas Qualify for VA Benefits?
By Rick Gregory, Legal Specialist
TL;DR
- The PACT Act (Public Law 117-168), signed August 10, 2022, expands VA benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, radiation, and other hazards based on where and when they served.
- Post-9/11 veterans who served in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and more than a dozen other Southwest Asia countries are covered.
- Gulf War veterans who served in the Southwest Asia theater any time after August 2, 1990 also qualify, including those who never deployed to Iraq.
- Vietnam-era veterans are covered for Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Korea, Thailand, Guam, and Johnston Atoll.
- Cold War and radiation-exposure veterans have their own set of qualifying PACT Act locations tied to nuclear testing and occupation duty.
The PACT Act covers millions of veterans, but eligibility depends heavily on where and when a person served. Understanding which PACT Act locations qualify is the starting point for any claim. The law organizes eligibility by deployment location and era, and if your service falls within one of the covered areas, you may qualify for presumptive service connection, meaning VA will presume your illness is related to your military service without requiring you to prove a direct link.
This post walks through every major category of PACT Act locations, era by era, so you can quickly identify whether your service history puts you in a covered group. If you are unsure, a free eligibility review is available at /eligibility-check.
What locations qualify under the PACT Act?
The PACT Act does not name a single list of locations. Instead, it creates several distinct coverage categories, each tied to a specific era of service and a specific type of hazardous exposure. The four main categories are:
- Post-9/11 Southwest Asia and burn pit locations (service on or after September 11, 2001)
- Gulf War Southwest Asia theater (service on or after August 2, 1990)
- Vietnam-era herbicide exposure locations (primarily 1962 through 1975, extended to later dates for specific areas)
- Cold War and ionizing radiation exposure locations (various periods from the 1940s onward)
A veteran does not need to have served in all of these areas. Each category stands on its own. Qualifying for any one category can support a VA disability claim if you have a covered condition.
What are the PACT Act locations for post-9/11 veterans?
Veterans who served in the following areas on or after September 11, 2001 are covered for burn pit and airborne hazard presumptions under the PACT Act.
Primary post-9/11 PACT Act locations:
| Country | Notes |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Covered from September 11, 2001 through the 2021 withdrawal |
| Iraq | Covered from the 2003 invasion onward |
| Kuwait | Major staging and logistics hub throughout the post-9/11 era |
| Qatar | Home of Al Udeid Air Base and other major installations |
| United Arab Emirates | Multiple coalition support bases |
| Bahrain | Navy and Air Force presence throughout the period |
| Saudi Arabia | Coalition support operations |
| Oman | Logistics and air operations |
| Jordan | Coalition support and special operations |
| Egypt | Sinai peacekeeping operations and support roles |
| Lebanon | Peacekeeping and advisory missions |
| Kosovo | Peacekeeping operations under NATO |
| Djibouti | Camp Lemonnier and Horn of Africa operations |
Veterans who served in other Southwest Asia countries not on this list, or at burn pit locations in countries covered by the PACT Act's broader language, should still review their eligibility. The law's coverage extends to locations where the Secretary of Veterans Affairs determines burn pit or airborne hazard exposure occurred.
The key requirement is not which specific base you were assigned to. It is whether you served in a covered country during a covered period. For post-9/11 veterans, burn pit exposure is presumed if service in a covered location is confirmed.
Learn more about the underlying law at PACT Act.
What are the PACT Act locations for Gulf War veterans?
The Gulf War coverage period began on August 2, 1990, the date Iraq invaded Kuwait, and has no defined end date. Veterans who served in the Southwest Asia theater any time after that date are covered, including those who never saw direct combat.
Gulf War PACT Act qualifying locations:
- Iraq
- Kuwait
- Saudi Arabia
- Bahrain
- Qatar
- United Arab Emirates
- Oman
- Jordan
- Egypt
- Turkey
- Israel
- Syria
- Lebanon
- Somalia
- Afghanistan (for service before September 11, 2001)
This list reflects the Southwest Asia theater as defined by VA regulation. Veterans who served in any of these countries during the covered period may qualify for Gulf War illness presumptions, which cover a range of chronic, undiagnosed conditions including fatigue, gastrointestinal disorders, and musculoskeletal pain.
Unlike the post-9/11 burn pit presumption, Gulf War illness does not require a specific diagnosis of a named condition. Medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness can qualify if it meets the severity threshold and is linked to Gulf War service in a covered location.
If your service was in the Gulf War era, check whether your conditions may qualify at /eligibility-check.
PACT Act Locations for Vietnam and Korea Veterans
Agent Orange coverage under the PACT Act expanded the list of locations where herbicide exposure is presumed. If you served in any of the following areas during the covered periods, VA presumes you were exposed to Agent Orange or other tactical herbicides without requiring additional proof.
Vietnam-era herbicide PACT Act locations:
| Location | Coverage Notes |
|---|---|
| Republic of Vietnam | January 9, 1962 through May 7, 1975 (includes inland waterways and offshore vessels) |
| Cambodia at Mimot or Krek, Kampong Cham Province | April 16 through April 30, 1969 |
| Laos | December 1, 1965 through September 30, 1969 |
| Thailand (U.S. military bases) | January 9, 1962 through May 7, 1975 (perimeter duty with herbicide use) |
| Guam | January 9, 1962 through July 31, 1980 |
| Johnston Atoll | January 1, 1972 through September 30, 1977 |
| Korea, south of the DMZ | April 1, 1968 through August 31, 1971 |
The Korea DMZ coverage is particularly important for veterans who served there during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Herbicides including Agent Orange were used along the demilitarized zone during that period. Veterans who served south of the DMZ during those dates qualify for the same Agent Orange presumptions as Vietnam veterans.
For veterans who served on ships off the coast of Vietnam, known as "Blue Water Navy" veterans, the PACT Act and prior legislation confirmed eligibility for those who served in the territorial waters of the Republic of Vietnam.
PACT Act Locations for Cold War and Radiation Veterans
The PACT Act also expanded benefits for veterans who were exposed to ionizing radiation during specific Cold War-era assignments. These are known as radiation-risk activities, and the qualifying PACT Act locations include some of the most historically significant nuclear sites of the 20th century.
Radiation exposure qualifying locations:
- Pacific nuclear test sites: Bikini Atoll and other Marshall Islands locations where atmospheric nuclear testing occurred
- Nevada Test Site: Veterans who participated in above-ground nuclear tests in Nevada
- Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan: Occupation duty in either city between August 6, 1945 and July 1, 1946
- Palomares, Spain: Cleanup following the 1966 B-52 crash that scattered nuclear material
- Thule Air Base, Greenland: Cleanup following the 1968 B-52 crash
- Enewetak Atoll: Cleanup and occupation duty following nuclear testing
- Amchitka Island, Alaska: Underground nuclear testing operations
Veterans who participated in atmospheric nuclear testing in any location, including tests conducted by allied nations, may also qualify depending on the specific circumstances of their service.
For radiation cases, the PACT Act created presumptive service connection for 23 additional cancers. Veterans no longer need to prove that their radiation dose was high enough to cause a specific cancer. If you served at a covered location during a covered period and have a covered cancer, the presumption applies.
How do you check if your service location qualifies?
Step 1: Identify your deployment locations and dates
Pull your DD-214 or other service records that document where you were stationed and when. You need the country or region and the dates of service. For the post-9/11 and Gulf War categories, any service in a covered country during the covered period is sufficient. For Vietnam-era and radiation categories, the specific dates matter more because coverage windows are narrower.
Step 2: Match your service to a coverage category
Use the tables and lists in this post to check your deployment against each of the four coverage categories. You may qualify under more than one category if you served in multiple eras. Note which category or categories appear to apply, and which health conditions you currently have that might be covered.
Step 3: File or request a review
If your service location matches a covered area, the next step is either filing a new VA disability claim or reviewing a prior denial. Veterans who have already filed and been denied can submit a supplemental claim based on the PACT Act's expanded coverage. Free help filing is available from Veterans Service Organizations including the DAV, VFW, and American Legion. For denied claims or disputes over ratings, a VA-accredited attorney can provide representation. Cross and York charges no fee on initial claims. Fees are capped at 20% of past-due benefits on appeals only.
Contact us at /contact or call (202) 934-2954 for a free case evaluation.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to have served in a specific city or base to qualify?
No. The PACT Act qualifying locations are defined by country or region, not by specific base or city. If you served anywhere within a covered country during the covered period, you qualify for the geographic presumption. You do not need records showing which base you were at or how close you were to a specific hazard source.
What if I served in a covered location but my condition is not on the presumptive list?
You may still be able to file a claim on a direct service connection basis. The PACT Act's presumptive list covers many common conditions, but it does not cover every possible illness linked to toxic exposure. A direct service connection claim requires evidence linking your specific diagnosis to your military service, which typically means a medical nexus opinion. A VA-accredited attorney or VSO can help you evaluate whether a direct connection claim is viable.
Can Guard and Reserve members use PACT Act locations to qualify?
Yes, as long as the deployment was on federal orders (Title 10) to a covered location. Guard and Reserve members who were activated and deployed to Southwest Asia, Afghanistan, or other covered countries are treated the same as active-duty veterans for PACT Act purposes. State-only activations that did not result in a federal deployment to a covered location generally do not qualify.
What if I served in a covered location briefly, not for a full tour?
Duration of service in a covered location is not a factor in whether the presumption applies. Even a brief assignment or temporary duty to a covered country during the covered period can qualify you for the geographic presumption. The law does not set a minimum number of days. What matters is that your service records confirm presence in the covered area during the covered period.
If your service took you to any of the PACT Act locations covered in this post and you are now dealing with a chronic illness, VA disability benefits may be available to you. Cross and York is a VA-accredited law firm in Washington, DC. We review cases at no charge and collect no fee on initial claims. For appeals and denied claims, fees are capped at 20% of past-due benefits only.
Call (202) 934-2954 or visit our contact page to start a free case evaluation.
Cross & York is a VA-accredited law firm authorized to represent veterans before the Department of Veterans Affairs under 38 CFR § 14.629. Contingent fees apply only to past-due benefits awarded on appeal and are capped at 20% in accordance with 38 CFR § 14.636. No fee is charged for representing veterans on initial claims. Address: 1050 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008.