Pallone, 15 Members Press Pentagon to Make Sunscreen Standard Issue for Servicemembers

NJ 6^th District Congressman, lawmakers cited higher melanoma rates among troops, reports some servicemembers cannot access sunscreen while deployed

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As summer puts renewed attention on the dangers of prolonged sun exposure, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, led 15 Members of Congress in calling on Trump’s Department of Defense to make sunscreen readily available to servicemembers year-round, arguing that access to basic skin cancer prevention should not depend on whether troops can bring their own supplies.

In their letter to Trump’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the lawmakers raised concerns that sunscreen is not included in personal protective equipment (PPE) issued to servicemembers and cited troubling accounts of some troops being prevented from using sunscreen sent by family members or purchased themselves while training or deployed.

The lawmakers noted that skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States and that military personnel face elevated risks because of prolonged ultraviolet exposure. Research cited in the letter found melanoma rates among active-duty servicemembers are 62 percent higher than among the general population, while veterans are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced-stage disease.

“The most common cancer in the United States is skin cancer, with at least one in five Americans developing it during their lifetime. Skin cancer, including the deadliest form, melanoma, is a unique and major threat to our military community who carry out their missions in environments of extreme solar radiation. Decades of studies going back to WWII confirm the linkage of exposure to the development of deadly melanoma. Shockingly, one of the most proven skin cancer prevention tools, sunscreen, is not included in PPE for military personnel. We have also learned that there are cases where servicemembers were prevented from using their own sunscreen during training and deployment,” the members wrote.

“Skin cancer, including deadly melanoma, is a persistent threat to the men and women who bravely serve our country and whose service often exposes them to dangerous UV radiation. Veterans are 62% more likely than the general public to develop melanoma and are also much more likely to be diagnosed with more advanced disease. Importantly, over 90% of cutaneous melanomas are considered preventable through the use of sun safety tools such as sunscreen. We applaud Congressman Pallone for shining a light on this issue and encourage Secretary Hegseth to give our servicemembers the education and sunscreen they need to keep themselves safe,” said Kyleigh LiPira, Chief Executive Officer of the Melanoma Research Foundation.

“As members of the military sacrifice daily to protect our country, the Department of Defense should consider providing them broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher as basic protection against skin cancer that preserves their health during their service to our nation,” said American Academy of Dermatology Association President Murad Alam, MD, MSCI, MBA, FAAD. “The American Academy of Dermatology Association applauds Representative Frank Pallone for his leadership for asking our Armed Services to provide this valuable protection from skin cancer as part of their Personal Protective Equipment. As the most common cancer in the United States, skin cancer is a preventable with sunscreen and sun-protective clothing.”

The Members requested information on current Department policies regarding sunscreen use; whether any regulations restrict servicemembers from receiving sunscreen in care packages or using their own products during training and deployment; and whether commanding officers are authorized to distribute sunscreen in the field. They also urged the Department to include sunscreen in standard PPE kits issued to military personnel.

Read full letter here and below:

Secretary Hegseth, 

We write to raise concerns about the lack of sunscreen in personal protective equipment (PPE) for servicemembers and, based on troubling reports we have received from those directly affected, request answers to questions regarding shortfalls in existing policies. As members of the military sacrifice daily to protect our country, we have a responsibility to equip them with basic protection that safeguards their health during their service to our nation. 

The most common cancer in the United States is skin cancer, with at least one in five Americans developing it during their lifetime. Skin cancer, including the deadliest form, melanoma, is a unique and major threat to our military community who carry out their missions in environments of extreme solar radiation. Decades of studies going back to WWII confirm the linkage of exposure to the development of deadly melanoma.¹ Shockingly, one of the most proven skin cancer prevention tools, sunscreen, is not included in PPE for military personnel. We have also learned that there are cases where servicemembers were prevented from using their own sunscreen during training and deployment. 

Both the U.S. Surgeon General and the World Health Organization have publicly recognized the growing impact of skin cancer and the role of sunscreen as important prevention tool. Having five or more sunburns doubles the risk of melanoma.² A recent study using data from 1999 to 2018 showed that the likelihood of skin cancer diagnoses was higher in U.S. veterans than in nonveterans; which undoubtedly causes an increase of utilization and cost to the VA health care system.3 In the near term, readiness is diminished as servicemembers seek and undergo biopsies, recover from procedures, and receive treatment for advanced disease.

According to a Uniformed Services University report, “melanoma is the most significant cancer to affect the active-duty military population.”⁴ A 2014 study published in Military Medicine found that the melanoma incidence rate among servicemembers was 62 percent higher than in the general population between 2000 and 2007.⁵ Additionally, aircrew were found to have an 87 percent higher rate of melanoma than the civilian population, while groundcrew had a nine percent higher rate of melanoma. ⁶  

Recent studies have reinforced these findings and demonstrated that ultraviolet exposure during military service can have lifelong effects. A study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that veterans have an 18 percent higher risk of stage III and a 13 percent higher risk of stage IV melanoma at initial diagnosis, indicating that when veterans are diagnosed with melanoma it is at a more advanced and dangerous stage.⁷ It is unconscionable that the men and women who serve our nation face an elevated risk of developing a deadlier form of cancer as a direct result of their service. Given the seriousness of this issue, we respectfully request answers to the following questions: 

1. What efforts is the Department currently undertaking to encourage sunscreen use among servicemembers? 
2. Are there any Department regulations that prohibit servicemembers from receiving sunscreen in care packages from family or using their own sunscreen during training and deployment? 
3. Are commanding officers authorized to dispense sunscreen? Cancer should not be a direct product of military service. Upwards of 90 percent of skin cancers, including melanoma, are considered preventable through the use of sun-safe behaviors such as daily sunscreen use.⁸This low-cost, widely available prevention tool could save lives, reduce disease burden, and greatly decrease future health care spending in the VA system if provided to our servicemembers when they need it the most.

We urge you to immediately prioritize the inclusion of sunscreen in all PPE kits and look forward to receiving your response to our questions by July 23. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

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