Noteboom The Law Firm

Report Outlines VA’s Treatment of Gulf War Veterans

April 7, 2010 - The Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) task force released a report detailing how the VA plans on attending to veterans' health care needs. The report also addresses how the VA will once again look into the origin of the illnesses striking veterans deployed to the Gulf war conflict in 1990 - 1991.

Approximately 700,000 veterans served in the Gulf War. Over 85% of the 300,000 veterans that filed disability claims suffer from sicknesses directly related to their deployments to either Operation Desert Shield in 1990 or Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

Gulf War Syndrome or Gulf War Illness are both terms developed to describe symptoms veterans suffer from that defy any other medical or psychiatric explanations. Studies have linked the symptoms to exposure to chemicals in the Persian Gulf. The chemicals have been linked to health problems such as:

• Memory and concentration problems;
• Persistent headaches;
• Unexplained fatigue;
• Widespread pain;
• Chronic digestive problems;
• Respiratory symptoms; and
• Skin rashes.

 The Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veteran's Illnesses, a congressionally mandated advisory panel, determined Gulf War Illness was caused by pills troops ingested to counter nerve gas attacks. The report also eliminated other suspected causes of Gulf War Illness. Conversely, the Institute of Medicine reported the pills could not, at the time of their study, be conclusively determined to cause long-term effects.

Finally, the task force's report will highlight areas where the VA fails to give veterans their deserved health care service. The report also made a number of suggestions on how the VA can improve their service to Gulf War Veterans. The VA must undergo significant changes in how it treats Gulf War Veterans and hopefully the task force report is a guiding light in this direction.