Joint Base San Antonio
San Antonio, TX
Known Toxins1
Years of Operation1917-Present
Base Background
South San Antonio Aviation Camp opened in 1917 and it’s served as various types of military installations since then. In 2010, the Department of Defense combined installation support functions at the Army’s Fort Sam Houston with those at the Air Force’s Randolph and Lackland Air Force Bases, creating the largest joint base in the DoD.
Fort Sam Houston itself traces its roots to an 1845 Army garrison in San Antonio and was formally named in 1890 for Gen. Sam Houston; it is home today to Brooke Army Medical Center, the Army Medical Center of Excellence, and other Army medical commands. Lackland Air Force Base, established in 1941, trains every enlisted recruit who joins the Air Force or Space Force, while Randolph Air Force Base, dedicated in 1930, is headquarters to Air Education and Training Command. The joint base also includes Camp Bullis, a roughly 28,000-acre Army training reservation in Bexar County, about 16 miles northwest of downtown San Antonio.
PFAS Contamination
The Department of Defense tracks PFAS investigation and cleanup at Joint Base San Antonio as one combined effort spanning all four of its component areas: Lackland, Randolph, Fort Sam Houston, and Camp Bullis. The contamination stems from decades of firefighting-foam use in aircraft-fire training, dating to at least 1970.
Per the Department’s PFAS installation status chart (progress as of June 30, 2026), the joint base has cleared the initial screening stage, and the deeper remedial investigation that follows it is now underway and not expected to wrap up until September 2045.
Getting Compensation for Toxic Exposure
Service members and family members stationed at Fort Sam Houston, or anywhere on Joint Base San Antonio, could be entitled to compensation if they developed a health condition tied to PFAS exposure. Check the chart below to see which conditions are associated with PFAS and get a free case evaluation: Hill & Ponton focuses exclusively on appeals by veterans and eligible survivors, and never bills unless the case is won.
Known Toxins
The following chart outlines the medical conditions associated with toxic exposure at this base, classified by the strength of evidence required (strong, good or limited).* Please keep in mind that it is not a complete list.
| Toxin | Potential Effects & Strength of Evidence Needed | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong | Good | Limited | ||
| PFAS (Firefighting Foam) | Potential Effects & Strength of Evidence Needed | - | - | Testicular cancer Renal (kidney) cancer... Prostate cancer |
How to Build a VA Disability Claim
- Document your time at the base through service records or other supporting documentation
- Gather thorough medical evidence of your diagnosis
- Secure an expert medical opinion connecting your diagnosed condition to the toxic exposure
Hill & Ponton’s best disability lawyers can assist you in obtaining compensation and disabled veteran benefits in Texas (or your state). Contact our San Antonio VA lawyers for a free evaluation of your case.