A Marine who served on the USS Boxer during a 2016 deployment that saw the ship dump fuel, only to contaminate its own water supply, has successfully received disability compensation that previously had been denied by the Department of Veterans Affairs, following a Military.com investigation that revealed the scope of the incident.
The change of heart by the VA could pave the way for other veterans to receive disability pay for an event that the Navy publicly acknowledged only after the news outlet presented evidence to the service ahead of publication.
In June, Military.com published an exclusive look at how the Boxer accidentally compromised its own water supply when a senior enlisted sailor ordered junior sailors to intentionally dump diesel fuel into the ocean. The report, based on interviews with key personnel on the ship as well as Navy documents, detailed a mishap that sailors and Marines who served on the Boxer say had been swept under the rug.
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The Marine, who was a lance corporal at the time of the incident, said in an interview with Military.com that she had submitted a copy of the investigation in a new application for disability benefits after prior filings had been denied. She was one of several service members who described having skin issues after the deployment and, when she separated from the…
