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Oregon Soldiers Win Legal Battle

Twelve Oregon soldiers have won a long legal battle against military contractor Kellogg Brown and Root (or KBR) of Houston.  A Federal jury in Portland found the company was guilty of negligence regarding illnesses suffered by the men while guarding an oilfield water plant during the Iraq War in 2003.  KBR must pay $6.25 million dollars to each of the soldiers in punitive damages and $850-thousand dollars in non-economic damages.  Jason Arnold of Redmond tells KGW in Portland the jury’s decision is a little bit of justice…but says “the torch needs to go further and blaze hotter.”  Arnold says, "...This is never about money.  We still have men and women in Afghanistan and they’re fighting hard and they’re shedding blood.  There needs to be more oversight of these corporations that are making profits.”  Arnold and the other soldiers say they suffer from respiratory ailments after their exposure to sodium dichromate, which they say was not property handled by the company.  Attorneys for KBR says they will appeal the decision.

 

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