Three veterans groups are seeking class-action status for a lawsuit they filed in 2009 against the Defense Department, the CIA and the Army on behalf of thousands of soldiers who participated in research programs at Edgewood Arsenal and Fort Detrick, the trade publication U.S. Medicine reported.

The lawsuit alleges that chemical and biological weapons were tested on soldiers, that the military failed to provide follow-up care for the symptoms they developed, and that nearly all disability claims related to the tests have been denied.

CNN reported about the tests earlier this month, prompting some former soldiers to share their experiences with the network. One was given sarin gas and its antidotes, along with other injections that remain a mystery, and later was found to have damage to his heart. Another developed Parkinson's disease that he blames on the numerous injections and pills he was given at Edgewood; he was never told what they contained.

According to U.S. Medicine, the lawsuit seeks no monetary damages, but would require the military to notify the test participants what chemicals they were exposed to, as well as the doses and methods of administration. It would also require the federal government to provide healthcare for veterans suffering from diseases related to the tests.

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