Some American soldiers are accusing the military contractor Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR) of  putting their lives at risk by exposing them to toxic substances.

In April of 2003, James Gentry arrived in Southern Iraq to take command of more than 600 Indiana National Guardsmen who were protecting KBR contractors working at a local watering plant.

“We didn’t question what we were doing, we just knew we had to provide a security service for the KBR,” said Battalion Cmdr. Gentry. But today, James Gentry is dying from a rare form of lung cancer as a result of months of inhaling hexavalent chromium, an orange dust that is part of a toxic chemical found all over the plant.

At least one other Indiana guardsman has already died from lung cancer, and others are suffering from tumors and rashes consistent with exposure to the toxin.

There is evidence that indicates KBR knew about the deadly exposure danger months before the soldiers were informed. Depositions from KBR employees addressed concerns about the toxin in one part of the plant as early as May of 2003. KBR minutes from a later meeting state that “60 percent of the people … exhibit symptoms of exposure,” including bloody noses and rashes.

In a statement, the multi-billion dollar contractor told CBS News: “We deny the assertion that KBR harmed troops and was responsible for an unsafe condition.”

KBR says it notified the Army as soon as it identified the toxin, but some Indiana guardsmen say they only just learned of the risk. “I didn’t know I was exposed to a deadly carcinogen until five years later when I received a letter,” said Indiana National Guardsman Jody Aistrop.

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