Gulf War Syndrome Findings Not Breaking News, Says American Legion
From US Newswire
To: National Desk
Contact: Ramona Joyce, 202-263-2982 or 202-445-1161 (cell), Joe March, 317-630-1253 or 317-748-1926 (cell) both of the American Legion
WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 /U.S. Newswire/ -- "Recent media reports that Gulf War Syndrome doesn't exist are misleading and masks the fact that even though ongoing maladies being experienced by Gulf War veterans may not have a scientific name they certainly do exist," said Paul A. Morin, national commander of The American Legion.
"The Institute of Medicine's (IOM) recent report on the health of Gulf War veterans is basically a summary of existing peer- reviewed research and the committee's findings. The most contentious, which some media are just now reporting on, is the conclusion that there is no Gulf War Syndrome," Morin said.
"This is not breaking news within the veterans community, but it does warrant more explanation because of the misleading headlines."
The committee indicated that available research, collectively, indicated there is no cluster of illnesses that could be attributed to a single source and that there were no illnesses unique to those who were deployed to the Persian Gulf during U.S. operations there in the early 1990s.
The same research again stated that Gulf War veterans are sicker than other non-deployed veterans and the IOM committee could not determine a reason for it, and that unexplained illnesses are the most prevalent health outcome of service in the Gulf War.
The report also recommended that the Department of Veterans Affairs provide surveillance for specific adverse health outcomes, such as cancer, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, birth defects, adverse pregnancy outcomes, post-deployment psychiatric illnesses.
Although this report does not provide any new recommendations that are beneficial to 1991 Gulf War veterans, it is the second report congressionally mandated to provide recommendations to the Secretary of the VA on the health of Gulf War veterans to indicate that they are sicker than their non-deployed counterparts.
"What is important, and has been well documented, is that Gulf War veterans are sicker, even if no one can conclusively declare why this is so," said Morin "The American Legion's priority on this issue is to make sure additional funding and effective treatments are made available to help alleviate any suffering service member's symptoms," he said.
The Legion also reinforced the call for benefits to be awarded for illnesses that are found to be related to military service in the Persian Gulf during Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield.
VA has recently dedicated up to $15 million to identify effective treatments for ill Gulf War veterans. The American Legion again will request that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs address the ailments that the IOM have associated with symptoms identified in the report.
"If existing research has not been able to provide the VA with adequate knowledge to effectively treat ill Gulf War veterans, then the VA needs to ensure that finding effective treatments is made a top priority," said Morin
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This text and a high-resolution photo of Cmdr. Morin can be downloaded at http://www.legion.org
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Founded in 1919, the 2.7 million-member American Legion is the nation's largest service organization for veterans of the U.S. armed forces, including active duty, National Guard and Reserves, and their families. A powerful voice for veterans in Washington, The American Legion drafted the original GI Bill and was instrumental in establishing the agency that today is the federal Department of Veterans Affairs.
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