The Torchlight Initiative

Examining cancers and OTHER DISEASES, ILLNESSES, AND disorders within the

AIR FORCE Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Community

 

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Multi Cancer Early Detection

About The Torchlight Initiative

Torchlight is a non-government organization composed of current and former Air Force ICBM community members and their families.

Our mission is to address health issues of vital interest to the ICBM community, specifically, to address the higher rates of cancer and other diseases, illnesses, and disorders amongst those that operated, maintained, supported, or protected ICBM delivery systems.

Our goal is to ensure the ICBM environment is safe for all current and future personnel while continuing to support the vital deterrent capability inherent in the ICBM mission.

We will advocate for this community and strive to ensure former and current community members receive education, health monitoring and care, and when appropriate, VA claim service connection.

IN THE NEWS

Beyond the PACT Act: Addressing the Legacy of Toxic Exposure at Domestic Military Installations
On 8 April, leaders of the Torchlight Initiative had the opportunity to brief the House VA Committee,  and members of the Senate VA Committee on the disproportionate rate of cancers and illnesses impacting the ICBM Community. Their comments are at the 1hr 6min mark.

Members of this Torchlight team will die from our exposures as a casualties of this war, and we will join the Airmen and Guardians who gave their lives before us. But not today. And not without speaking and fighting for our fellow service members and families who have sacrificed so much.

 

Independent Study Raises Alarm About Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma at Malmstrom Air Force Base | APR 25, 2025

A new independent academic study examining a form of blood cancer among those who served at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, has found that service members were diagnosed at younger ages compared to the wider population, a notable revelation as that community fears their cancers and illnesses could be tied to their service.

 

PCBs At Missile Wings Signed Memorandum | MAY 06, 2024

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) sampling results at the three active missile wings (Malmstrom AFB, MT; Francis E. Warren AFB, WY; and Minot AFB, ND) as well as Vandenberg SFB, CA.

Cancer rate among Air Force missileers prompts questions, concerns. | MAR 26, 2024

Service members who worked at nuclear weapons facilities seek answers.

Our Vision

Education/Awareness/Monitoring

Torchlight strives to educate and build awareness on the health issues impacting our community, and encourages the DoD to proactively monitor and screen the community.

 

Registry AND STUDIES

Torchlight maintains a self-reported registry of Air Force ICBM missile community diagnoses of cancer and other diseases, illnesses and disorders, to support and inform any data gathered by a formal study.  Torchlight is willing and available to inform current and future study designs and would encourage participation of third-party medical and environmental experts.

Documentation

The Air Force ICBM missile community’s permanent medical records should consistently and thoroughly document all toxic exposures related to service.  We will advocate for our former/current/future missile community members and their families to ensure they receive proper medical care and earned compensation.

 THE REGISTRY

    This is a DATABASE managed by a NGO  

We are collecting this information to support or supplement studies commissioned by proper authorities.  Please feel free to voluntarily register if you or a military family member are/were part of the Air Force ICBM missile community and have a diagnosed cancer or other disease, illness and/or disorder.

JOIN THE REGISTRY

Real Heroes. Real Stories.

On the battlefield, concealment is a survival skill | Off that battlefield,
transparency enables survival | Through the telling of each story, we are united as one | In the telling of the collective, we find our own.

These are our stories. This is our story. | A. Dietz

CAPTAIN JEFF KUBALA 01/10/1968 - 04/16/2024

Diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme Brain Tumor

2021, at the age of 53.

DEAN SHOCKLEY

Diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme

2022, at the age of 57.

JACKIE

Diagnosed with NHL/B-Cell/Follicular

2018, at the age of 42.

 

JASON BOSWELL

Diagnosed with Cutaneous T-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

2015, at the age of 42.

DR. ROB CALDERON

Diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

2000, at the age of 28.

 

MONTE WATTS

Diagnosed with NHL/Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

January 2022

Ryan Luecke

Diagnosed with NHL/Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

May 2020, at the age of 45.

DAVID HOLLIS

Diagnosed with Seborrheic Dermatitis & Pruritus. 

 

Captain Jason Leo Jenness 04/06/1970-07/22/2001

Diagnosed with NHL/Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma.

DANIEL C. SEBECK

Diagnosed with NHL/Mantle Cell Lymphoma.

30 Sep 2022 at age of 42.

 

MAJOR MARK HOLMES 12/21/1982-05/12/2020

Diagnosed with NHL/Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

There’s no room for incomplete knowledge or substandard performance when caring for the missile community.
-THE TORCHLIGHT INITIATIVE

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