Gulf War Illness Update
Since the end of the Persian Gulf War, veterans have reported suffering a wide range of symptoms, including fatigue, skin rashes, headaches, memory loss, and joint pain, that may be related to their service there. As I stated at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Gulf War illnesses in February 1997, I believe that the nation's memory of our proud and successful victory in the Gulf must not be tarnished by the remaining questions about Gulf War illness. We should have two goals: first, there are servicemen who are ill and our most important obligation is to care for them; second, we must find out what happened so it does not happen again. I would like to take this opportunity to bring you up-to-date on what Congress and Federal agencies are doing to find answers for sick Persian Gulf veterans and their families.
Active duty soldiers and family members should call the toll-free DoD Persian Gulf Veterans' Hotline (1-800-796-9699) to report symptoms and schedule examinations at designated military hospitals. Veterans should call the VA Persian Gulf Information Helpline to arrange a free health screening and obtain the latest information and assistance (1-800-PGW-VETS). The Defense Department, Army, and VA maintain a database so veterans can be contacted as further information and medical treatment become available.
DoD has a computer web site for veterans and civilians to access the latest information on Gulf War illnesses: http://www.dtic.dla.mil/gulflink/varpt. For information on VA's program initiatives, see the Persian Gulf War veterans' illnesses home page at: http://www.va.gov/health/environ/persgulf.htm. Veterans seeking disability compensation for illnesses incurred in or aggravated by military service should contact a Veterans Benefits Counselor at the closest VA regional office or health care facility (1-800-827-1000). Persian Gulf War veterans may now claim disability compensation for war-related illnesses through 2001. Before VA Secretary Brown changed this policy in 1997, veterans had to prove that their symptoms began within two years of leaving the Gulf area. This new policy is intended to give Gulf War veterans a more realistic length of time as scientific research goes forward on the causes of their health problems.
Individuals who were part of demolition operations or have information of immediate value to the government's investigation of the possible exposure of troops to nerve gas may call the Persian Gulf Incident Hotline at 1-800-472-6719.
On October 19, 1998, just before Congress adjourned for the year, key provisions of S. 2358 were included in the Omnibus Appropriations Bill, which Congress passed and the President signed into law. S. 2358, a measure patterned after Connecticut Representative Christopher Shays' Persian Gulf War Veterans Health Act, establishes a procedure by which the Secretary of Veterans' Affairs may make a determination of service-connection for illness associated with service in the Persian Gulf War.
Persian Gulf War veterans provisions were also included in the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 1998 (H.R. 4110) which passed the Senate on October 21, 1998, and was signed into law by the President on Veterans Day. These provisions include:
 Directing the National Academy of Sciences to review and evaluate the available scientific data regarding associations between illness and service in the Persian Gulf War;
Extending the guarantee of health care to eligible Persian Gulf veterans until 2001;
Development of a plan for a national center for the study of war-related illnesses;
Coordination of government health-related activities and the improved effectiveness of care for Persian Gulf veterans;
Evaluation of the health status of spouses and children of Persian Gulf veterans.
The F.Y. 1999 National Defense Authorization Act requires the Secretary of Defense to assess the feasibility of establishing an independent center to evaluate and monitor the post-deployment health concerns of members of the armed forces. The Secretary must report to Congress on the assessment not later than one year after the enactment of this act.
In F.Y. 1997, Defense Authorization Act authorized
$10 million to be available for research on the possible causal relationship between Gulf War Syndrome and exposure to chemical agents and hazardous materials during military service in the Persian Gulf. The Act established medical and dental benefits for children with congenital defects and illnesses of Gulf War veterans eligible for health care within the Military Health Care System. DoD was also directed to study the health implications of the inoculations and investigational new drugs that were administered during the Persian Gulf deployment.
The President established the Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses in May 1995. The Committee, comprised of veterans, scientists, doctors, nurses and policy experts, held 18 meetings around the country and heard from veterans, scientists, medical practitioners and members of the public with theories about what could be making veterans sick. The panel's final report, issued in early January 1997, generally praised the government's response, medical treatment and research efforts, but sharply criticized the Defense Department's probe of possible troop exposure to chemical weapons in the Persian Gulf. The Presidential Advisory Committee concluded that Persian Gulf Syndrome is most likely not a single disease with a single cause, but emphasized that any accurate estimate of the nature and magnitude of Gulf War veterans' illnesses must await the results of ongoing research, which is coordinated by the VA and conducted by various agencies, including the VA, DoD, HHS and EPA.
In October 1998, the VA announced the launching of a Congressionally-mandated $20 million cooperative effort with the DoD to conduct large-scale, random, controlled trials of treatments at several geographically dispersed VA medical centers for Persian Gulf veterans who suffer from undiagnosed illnesses. The VA is also entering the final phase of its largest study of the health of Gulf War veterans and their family members, the National Health Survey. Data was gathered from 15,000 veterans who served in the Gulf during hostilities and 1,000 have been randomly selected for physical examinations. The National Health Survey is a component of an overall federal research program involving over a hundred research projects and represents the government's commitment to working toward answers for Gulf War veterans and their families.
I will continue to do all I can to ensure that Persian Gulf veterans receive the best medical care we can provide. We must not turn our backs on those who put their lives on the line for us.
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