Vance Air Force Base

Base Background

Opened in the ’40s on the south side of Enid, Oklahoma, Vance Air Force Base focused on pilot training in the following decades. Today, the base is home to the 71st Flying Training Wing, putting U.S. Air Force and allied student pilots through undergraduate flight training in three aircraft: the T-6A Texan II, the T-38C Talon, and the T-1A Jayhawk. It trains Air Force Pilots and military officers, as well as members of the Air National Guard. The installation also includes Kegelman Auxiliary Field, a separate training airfield near Jet, Oklahoma.

Toxic Exposure at Vance Air Force Base

Decades of aircraft maintenance and flight operations at Vance have left documented contamination in two distinct forms: firefighting-foam chemicals known as PFAS, and fuel and chlorinated solvents that turned up in on-base groundwater. The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality states the contamination has been contained within the base’s boundaries, and extracted groundwater is piped to a Central Groundwater Treatment Facility, with monitoring continuing on an annual basis.

PFAS Contamination

Like hundreds of other military installations, Vance used aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) in firefighting and training for years before the health risks of its PFAS content were understood. The Department of Defense’s own PFAS cleanup program is centered on PFOA and PFOS, the two PFAS compounds found most often in groundwater near installations that used AFFF. As of DoD’s June 30, 2026 progress report, Vance (tracked jointly with Kegelman Auxiliary Field) has completed its preliminary assessment and site inspection, and a full remedial investigation is currently underway, with an estimated completion date of June 2038.

Fuel and Chlorinated Solvent Contamination

Vance’s environmental staff have documented gasoline floating on groundwater near the base’s industrial gate and fuel tanks, along with contaminated soil at the nearby Baker Tract. The Air Force’s Installation Restoration Program has identified further sites for investigation across the base, including areas near the base clinic, the airfield, and an old incinerator, plus additional sites at Kegelman Auxiliary Field.

Getting Compensation

Airmen and civilian workers around Vance’s flight line, hangars, and fuel yards had no way of knowing what they were breathing or handling on any given shift, and illnesses tied to that kind of exposure can take years to surface. That delay between service and diagnosis can make it difficult to claim VA benefits, but both the veteran who served at Vance and an eligible survivor filing later could still qualify for compensation.

The chart below maps the health conditions linked to the substances documented at the base. Hill & Ponton has represented veterans and military families in toxic exposure claims for decades, and can help you find out where you stand through a free case evaluation. We handle nothing but VA disability law, and our VA-accredited lawyers work on contingency, so there’s no bill unless your claim succeeds.