VA Denies Presumptive Service Connection for Gulf War Illnesses

[Guest guest]

from Colley, MD

CLOSE YOUR EYES, MAKE A WISH AND HOPEFULLY ALL OF THIS WILL GO AWAY!

" NOT " !!!!!!! IT APPEARS THAT MODERN MEDICINE HAS CEASED TO EXIST OR

THESE FOLKS WANT TO BELIEVE THAT ALL OF OUR ILL ARE LIARS.

VA Denies Presumptive Service Connection for Gulf War Illnesses

DAV Magazine, March/April 2001 Issue - Pages 12 and 13

The VA has decided against granting presumptive service-connection for a

variety of illnesses that affect more than 120,000 Gulf War veterans.

The

VA cites as justification an Institute of Medicine Study (IOM) study

that

failed to find a link between health problems experience by veterans and

their service in the Persian Gulf.

The VA decision means that Gulf War veterans must continue to prove

their

health problems occurred during or are related to their military service

in

the Persian Gulf.

" This is not the decision that the DAV feels is needed, " said DAV

Washington

Headquarters Executive Director W. Gorman. " To assume that

120,000 of

the 700,000 veterans of the Persian Gulf War are suffering from

completely

unrelated illnesses flies in the face of logic. "

Scores of studies have been conducted on a variety of possible causes

for

Gulf War illness, including exposure to chemical and biological warfare

agents, depleted uranium, oil well fires, and chemical agent-resistant

paint.

The IOM study, released in September 2000, reviewed more than 10,000

published scientific studies related to four potential causes of Gulf

War

illness -- depleted uranium, sarin (a nerve gas), vaccines, and

pyridostigmine bromide (a medication to protect troops from nerve gas).

It

found a link between some medical problems and sarin.

Currently, Gulf War veterans can receive free specialized medical

examinations at VA facilities. They may be eligible for disability

compensation for illnesses or injuries related to their military

service.

VA said it provides disability compensation to more than 190,000 Gulf

War

veterans, including more than 3,000 with undiagnosed illnesses. Gulf

War

veterans should contact their nearest DAV National Service Officer for

additional information.

Meanwhile, the trio of new reports on Gulf War illness failed to

identify

the cause of the illnesses affecting veterans, but say that it could be

linked to combat stress, pesticides, or even where troops were deployed.

" It is notable that 10 years after the Persian Gulf War we are still

searching for the cause of Gulf War illness, " Mr. Gorman said. " After

spending $155 million and conducting 192 research projects, no single

cause

for the disease has been found. It is time the VA grant presumptive

service-connection for these illnesses, increase treatment options, and

award compensation appropriately. "

The most recent reports were conducted by the Rand Corp., a private

research

organization; the Presidential Special Oversight Board for Department of

Defense (DoD) Investigations of Gulf War Chemical and Biological

Incidents;

and the Kansas Persian Gulf War Veterans Health Initiative, a project of

the

Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs.

The Rand Corp., investigating whether pesticides used by our troops in

the

Persian Gulf contributed to Gulf War illnesses, concluded there was no

linkage, but could not exclude the possibility that some pesticides

caused

the chronic health problems experienced by Gulf War veterans.

A survey of Gulf War veterans found that about 13,000 troops used a flea

or

tick collar while in the Gulf which the DoD determined to be unsafe or

illegal. The survey also found than an estimated 3,500 to 4,500 troops

were

assigned pesticide-spraying duty who did not use masks or other

protection.

In addition, researchers found that some troops made frequent use of

personal pesticides and also took larger amounts of the nerve agent

antidote

known as pyridostigmine bromide, or PB. Scientific research is unclear

on

the effects of combining PB and pesticides.

The presidential Special Oversight Commission was ordered to oversee

Pentagon investigations of Gulf War illness conducted by the Office of

the

Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses (OSAGWI), which was the primary

DoD

agency responsible for coordinating the department's Gulf War illness

investigations.

After 30 months, the commission said stress is a likely cause of illness

in

at least some veterans and " is likely a secondary factor in other causes

of

undiagnosed illnesses among some Gulf War veterans. " The final report

said

" research has not validated any specific cause of these illnesses. "

A dissenting opinion by one member of the commission said that the

report's

conclusion that combat stress was a contributing factor to undiagnosed

Gulf

War illnesses was " a blatant misrepresentation. " Dr. Vihn Cam, an

immunologist, said in dissenting remarks on the report that she or " the

board, as a group, was never asked such a question. "

While the commission determined that OSAGWI had worked diligently and

didn't

cover up any findings, Dr. Cam argued that the commission members were

Pentagon insiders who worked too closely with OSAGWI instead of

exercising

oversight. " At times, the Presidential Special Oversight Board acted

more

like an extension of OSAGWI, " she said. " There was no fire wall between

the

oversight party and the party being under oversight. "

The so-called Kansas study found that 34% of the 2,000 Kansas Gulf War

veterans interviewed for the study are affected by Gulf War illness, but

the

rate of illness differs by where and when veterans served in the Persian

Gulf. Researchers found that 42% of veterans who served in Iraq or

Kuwait

suffered Gulf War illness symptoms. The rate of illness for veterans

who

left the region before the air and ground wars began was about 9%.

" Differences in illness rates indicated that Gulf War-related health

problems are not just randomly reported by all veterans, but are

connected

to different locations and experiences in the war, " said study director

Dr.

Lea Steele.

The Kansas study also found that veterans who reported receiving

vaccines

from the military during the Gulf War, but did not deploy to the Persian

Gulf, may have some of the same health problems as Gulf War veterans.

About

12% of veterans who did not serve in the Gulf War, but reported getting

vaccines during that time, had symptoms of Gulf War illness, compared to

4%

of veterans who did not serve in the war and did not receive vaccines.

" Studies are needed to determine whether and to what extent veterans

serving

in specific locations and at specific times have similar manifestations

of

illness, " said House Veterans Affairs' Committee member Lane

(D-Ill.).

" With notable exceptions, such as the Kansas study, this area of

research

has been largely ignored. "

" Research to identify patterns of symptoms may be more effective in

associating specific medical problems with Gulf service, " he said.

" Clearly, Gulf War illness has a cause or number of causes, " Mr. Gorman

said. " And just as clearly, those suffering from these disabilities

should

receive timely treatment and compensation. While it is important that

studies continue, the time has long past when Gulf War veterans should

have

received the proper medical treatment and compensation for the many

debilitating illnesses they suffer. "

DAV Magazine

P.O. Box 14301

Cincinnati, Ohio 45250-0301

Telephone: (859) 441-7300

Toll free: (877) I AM A VET

DAV Home Page: http://www.dav.org

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