Two veterans have filed a class-action lawsuit against the Army for refusing to classify illnesses linked to burn pit exposure as combat-related, a designation that would make their medical retirement pay tax-free. Retired Sgt. 1st Class Kyle Smoke and retired Lt. Col. Jennifer McIntyre filed suit Oct. 15 in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., over the retirements they were awarded after being exposed to burn pits during their deployments to Iraq, and Afghanistan in McIntyre's case.