This past Tuesday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Torres v. Texas Department of Public Safety, a case that is ultimately about fundamental fairness. The vast majority of people would agree that when someone leaves their job to serve their country, then that job should be waiting for them when they get back.

Yet that was not the case for Le Roy Torres, a Texas state trooper and U.S. Army reservist who was called to active duty in 2007 and deployed in Iraq. While in active service, Torres suffered extensive lung damage from burn pits. A burn pit, which put the health of so many American patriots at risk, is a waste disposal method used by the U.S. military that generates toxic fumes that cause very serious health damage for many veterans. As a result of his injuries, Torres was honorably discharged from the armed forces.