Which military bases or locations were newly added to presumptive exposure lists in 2024-2025?
Executive summary
In 2024–2025 the VA broadened presumptive exposure locations beyond Vietnam: the department proposed and in some cases finalized adding U.S. and Royal Thai military bases in Thailand (Jan. 9, 1962–June 30, 1976) and signaled expanded lists that include other Southeast Asian and U.S. sites such as bases in Laos, Cambodia, Guam, American Samoa and Johnston Atoll and additional domestic states — changes the VA rolled out through rulemaking and interim final rules in late 2024 and early 2025 (see VA’s Thailand addition and VA rulemaking summaries) [1] [2] [3] [4] [5].
1. The big, explicit addition: Thailand bases made presumptive
The clearest, repeatedly cited change was VA’s addition of “Any U.S. or Royal Thai military base in Thailand from January 9, 1962, through June 30, 1976” to the list of presumptive Agent Orange/herbicide exposure locations; that language appears on VA guidance and state veterans offices referencing VA’s February 2024 proposed rule [1] [2]. Military.com and other post-PACT-Act summaries also note the expansion to Thailand-era bases as part of five new presumptive locations added by the PACT Act and VA rulemaking [6] [7].
2. Broader rulemaking: more states and overseas sites under review or proposed
VA’s February 2024 proposed rule and related reporting showed plans to expand Agent Orange presumptions to dozens of additional locations — including U.S. states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, New York, Tennessee, Texas and Utah) and expanded timelines for places such as Guam, Laos and Cambodia — based on DoD lists of where herbicides were tested, used, or stored [3] [2]. Several veteran-focused outlets and VA trackers summarized these proposed expansions as part of a living, evolving DoD-derived list [3] [4].
3. 2025 interim rules extended presumptions for cancers and Gulf-War exposures
In early January 2025 the VA issued an interim final rule that added presumptive service connection for urinary bladder, ureter and related genitourinary cancers for certain Gulf War veterans exposed to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), effective Jan. 2, 2025 — a change adding new conditions tied to specified Gulf War locations and exposures rather than naming single bases but nevertheless expanding the geographic presumptive framework [5]. Reporting and legal guidance through 2025 also described new presumptive cancer categories and burn-pit conditions tied to service in listed deployment zones [8] [9].
4. Other named locations cited by secondary sources — Guam, Laos, Cambodia, Pacific atolls
Multiple veteran-advice and claims sites compiling VA updates list expanded Agent Orange presumptive locations beyond Thailand to include “bases in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Guam, American Samoa, and Johnston Atoll” and indicate further additions through 2025 as VA codified new condition presumptions [4] [10]. These compilations reflect VA’s broader approach to align presumptions with DoD records where herbicides were used, tested, or stored [3] [10].
5. What advocates and reporting note — patchwork recognition and continuing gaps
Local reporting about installations like Fort Ord shows the limits of VA/DoD lists: veterans pressed for presumptive status at Fort Ord have been told DoD found insufficient documentation of herbicide use there, and the VA declined to extend a presumption to Fort Ord based on DoD’s findings — illustrating how additions are evidence-driven and can leave many sites contested [11]. RAND and other analyses underscore that the PACT Act opened a new, faster route to benefits but depends on DoD documentation and VA rulemaking to add specific locations [12].
6. How to interpret “newly added” in 2024–2025: locations vs. conditions
If the question is strictly “which military bases were newly added,” VA’s explicit, directly cited addition is the Thailand language for U.S. or Royal Thai bases [1] [2]. If the question includes broader 2024–2025 rule changes, VA’s February 2024 proposal and early-2025 interim rules expanded presumptive locations across multiple U.S. states, Pacific territories, Southeast Asian countries and Gulf War deployment zones and added cancer categories tied to those locations [3] [5] [4].
7. Limitations, competing sources and next steps for veterans
Available sources confirm Thailand bases as a named addition and document VA proposals and interim rules that broaden presumptions to other states/regions and to new cancers [1] [3] [5]. Sources differ in granularity: VA’s official pages and Federal Register IFRs give final or effective text [1] [5], while advocacy and legal sites aggregate likely affected bases and states [4] [9]. Veterans seeking determinations should consult VA’s official exposure pages and Federal Register notices for exact site lists, effective dates and qualifying timeframes [1] [5].
Sources cited: VA guidance and proposed rule summaries [1] [2] [3], media and veterans’ organizations’ summaries [6] [7] [4], Federal Register interim final rule on GU cancers [5], and reporting on contested sites like Fort Ord [11].