Justice Department Will Not Challenge Benefits for Blue Water Navy Vets

The decision to allow “blue water” Navy veterans to be covered by the federal Agent Orange Act issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit will not be challenged at the U.S. Supreme Court by the Justice Department. Previously, former service members who served on ships within the 12-mile territorial sea of the Republic of Vietnam had been denied the benefits and treatment related to Agent Orange exposure. The Justice Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs had claimed that the Act covered only those veterans who served on the ground or inland waterways of Vietnam. The Federal Court’s decision in January disagreed with that option and secured access to benefits for “blue water” veterans. Finnegan, along with veterans’ organizations, veterans’ legal services groups, and other major law firms, provided broad amicus support for the Navy veterans in both the Federal Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court cases.