A federal judge has dismissed a major lawsuit against a defense contractor by veterans and their family members over burn pit operations in Iraq and Afghanistan that plaintiffs said caused them chronic and sometimes deadly respiratory diseases and cancer. In the decision, U.S. District Court Judge Roger W. Titus wrote that the company, KBR, could not be held liable for what was essentially a military decision to use burn pits for waste disposal. The dismissal is a major blow to the more than 700 veterans, family members and former KBR employees who brought the suit. The plaintiffs plan to file an appeal to the Fourth Circuit. Read the full story on Military.com.