Saturday, December 31, 2016

COURTHOUSE NEWS: AZ Police to Face Claims in Death of Gulf War Veteran

SOURCE: Courthouse News, Jamie Ross reporting, Dec. 30, 2016

http://courthousenews.com/arpaios-officers-must-face-claims-in-death-of-veteran/


ARCHIVED ARTICLE:

Arpaio’s Officers Must Face Claims in Death of Veteran 


PHOENIX (CN) – The Ninth Circuit ruled Friday that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s detention officers must face excessive-force claims in the death of a mentally ill Army veteran.
The officers asked a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit last month to grant them qualified immunityfrom a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Ernest “Marty” Atencio, a 44-year-old Gulf War veteran

Monday, December 19, 2016

AMERICAN LEGION COVER STORY, Jan. 2017: Gulf War Illness



American Legion - January 2017 Cover story - Gulf War Illness by Anthony Hardie on Scribd (scroll for additional pages, resources, and related story)


****
SOURCE: American Legion National Magazine, January 2017, by Ken Olsen
https://www.legion.org/magazine/235290/nothing-wrong-you

ARCHIVED ARTICLE:

Friday, December 2, 2016

VA: Studies point to gene-based glitches in ill Gulf War Vets

SOURCE:  U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, November 10, 2016
http://www.research.va.gov/currents/1116-3.cfm

ARCHIVED ARTICLE:

Key findings

Studies point to gene-based glitches in ill Gulf War Vets 

November 10, 2016
(From left) Drs. Lisa James, Brian Engdahl, and Apostolos Georgopoulos (director) are with the Brain Sciences Center at the Minneapolis VA. They are seen here next to the center's MEG scanner.
(From left) Drs. Lisa James, Brian Engdahl, and Apostolos Georgopoulos (director) are with the Brain Sciences Center at the Minneapolis VA. They are seen here next to the center's MEG scanner. (Photo by April Eilers
Twenty-five years ago, Brian Zimmerman was a strong 6-foot-1 inch, 185-pound Army infantryman in prime physical condition fighting Iraqi forces in Operation Desert Storm. 
He witnessed charred Iraqi bodies on the "Highway of Death," including a dead child, took part in a tank battle, and was close to an Iraqi ammunition depot called Khamisiyah that upon detonation is believed to have released nerve agents such as sarin and cyclosarin in the direction of U.S. troops.
Today, Zimmerman, 45, is still entrenched in a battle, but one worlds apart from his military days. He's one of the estimated 300,000 Veterans with Gulf War illness (GWI), which affects various

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

DOD -- Desert Storm 25 years later: Gulf War veterans recall experiences

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Video Imagery Distribution System (DVIDS), November 22, 2016, by Maj. Marnee Losurdo
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/215566/desert-storm-25-years-later-gulf-war-veterans-recall-experiences

ARCHIVED ARTICLE:

Desert Storm 25 years later: Gulf War veterans recall experiences


Gulf War 25-Year Anniversary
Photo By Tech. Sgt. Ryan Labadens | Staff Sgt. Ronald Patton, 403rd Operational Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment... read more

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MS, UNITED STATES

01.12.2016

Story by Maj. Marnee Losurdo  

403rd Wing  

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Sunday notes the 25th Anniversary of Operation Desert Storm. U.S. and coalition forces began attacking Iraqi military forces Jan. 17, 1991, to oust them from Kuwait, transitioning operations from Operation Desert Shield to Operation Desert Storm. 

More than 500,000 American servicemembers deployed to

Boston University to Participate in CDMRP-Funded Gulf War Study by Dr. Steven Coughlin


 ..."the grant is intended to help 'obtain a better understanding of mortality, morbidity and symptomatology over time in veterans deployed in the 1990–1991 Persian Gulf War and afflicted by GWI.'"   ..."It’s important to understand whether Gulf War Illness manifests differently in women than in men."

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

NYT: ISIS Used Chemical Arms at Least 52 Times in Syria and Iraq, Report Says

SOURCE:  New York Times, Nov. 21, 2016, by Eric Schmitt with C.J. Chivers
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/11/21/world/middleeast/isis-chemical-weapons-syria-iraq-mosul.html

ARCHIVED ARTICLE:

Middle East

ISIS Used Chemical Arms at Least 52 Times in Syria and Iraq, Report Says

SCIENCE DAILY: Studies point to gene-based brain glitches in ill Gulf War vets

SOURCE:  Science Daily,  by Veterans Affairs Research Communications, November 17, 2016

ARCHIVED ARTICLE:

Studies point to gene-based brain glitches in ill Gulf War vets

Researchers use MEG brain scans to track differences

Thursday, November 10, 2016

NSU Scientists Study Disease that Impacts Hundreds of Thousands of Gulf War Veterans

PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nova Southeastern University Scientists Study Disease that Impacts Hundreds of Thousands of Gulf War Veterans

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

New Study Links Chemical Alarms to Negative Brain Changes

(91outcomes.com) - Newly released study results suggest that 1991 Gulf War exposures that triggered chemical alarms damaged veterans' brain structure and function.

The study results, published this month in the peer-reviewed Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, looked at 1991 Gulf War veterans' self-reports of hearing chemical alarms going off during the war.  Previous estimates have suggested chemical alarms sounded tens of thousands of times across the Gulf War theater of operations during the six-week war to oust Iraqi military occupying forces from Kuwait.

A pair of studies in 2012 by Dr.'s James Haley and James Tuite provided new evidence that supports that chemical plumes from destroyed Iraqi chemical warfare production and storage facilities drifted down over and exposed large numbers of Gulf War troops to low-levels of sarin, mustard, and other Iraqi chemical warfare agents.

Friday, October 21, 2016

CDMRP Publicizes New Resources, including Gulf War Illness "Landscape"

(91outcomes.com) - Two significant new publicly available resources have been developed and publicly released by the Gulf War Illness Research Program (GWIRP), part of the U.S. Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).  

The Gulf War Illness Landscape

The first new GWIRP public resource, just released today, is the GWIRP's "landscape" of Gulf War illness (GWI) research.  The GWIRP prepared this Landscape as an overview of what is currently known about topics consistent with the GWIRP's integrated, three-part, Congressionally-directed mission: identifying GWI treatments; improving the definition and diagnosis of GWI; and, understanding GWI's pathobiology and symptoms.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

STARS & STRIPES: VA extends deadline 5 more years for seeking Gulf War illness benefits

SOURCE:  Stars and Stripes, October 17, 2016, Nikii Wentling reporting
http://www.stripes.com/news/va-extends-deadline-for-seeking-gulf-war-illness-benefits-to-2021-1.434547

ARCHIVED ARTICLE:

VA extends deadline for seeking Gulf War illness benefits to 2021

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

CDMRP-Funded Study Testing 9 Treatments for Gulf War Illness

(91outcomes.com) - A new study funded by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) is testing nine different treatments in veterans with Gulf War Illness.

The study, Treating Gulf War Illness with Novel Anti-Inflammatories: A Screening of Botanical Microglia Modulators, is being led by Dr. Jarred Younger of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.  During the course of the study, investigators will test the treatment viability of each of the nine plant-based treatments -- three in each veteran participant.  

Friday, September 30, 2016

CDMRP-Funded Study Finds 3 Blood Biomarkers of Gulf War Illness, Advances Toward Treatments

(91outcomes.com) - A Minnesota researcher has identified three "readily measurable" biomarkers in the blood of 1991 Gulf War veterans suffering from Gulf War Illness that may help enhance the current case definition for the disease and aid in treatment trials.  

Supported by a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) research grant, Dr. Ronald Bach of the Minneapolis VA Medical Center and his research team identified the biomarkers, which include specific changes in lymphocytes, monocytes, and C reactive protein.  Additionally, "Lymphocyte, monocyte, neutrophil, and platelet counts were higher in GWI subjects. Six serum proteins associated with inflammation were significantly different in GWI subjects."

CDMRP-Funded Study Finds 3 Blood Biomarkers of Gulf War Illness, Advances Toward Treatments

(91outcomes.com) - A Minnesota researcher has identified three "readily measurable" biomarkers in the blood of 1991 Gulf War veterans suffering from Gulf War Illness that may help enhance the current case definition for the disease and aid in treatment trials.  

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

VA Study Confirms Worse Sleep Quality, Higher Sleep Apnea Risk in Gulf War Illness


(91outcomes.com) - A new study by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) shows that veterans suffering from Gulf War Illness (GWI) have greater risk for obstructive sleep apnea than similar veterans without the debilitating condition.

The study, led by longstanding VA GWI researcher Dr. Linda Chao, also found that veterans with GWI had significantly greater severity of insomnia and worse sleep quality.

Interestingly, the study found a close correlation between insomnia and severity and GWI status.

CDMRP Study Confirms, Builds on Previous Findings that Gulf War Toxins Lead to Long-Term Brain Inflammation

(91outcomes.com) - A study funded by a federal medical research program aimed at developing treatments for Gulf War Illness has found new insight into possible treatment pathways for the debilitating condition that affects as many as one-third of the veterans of the 1991 Gulf War.

The study also confirmed previous findings of persistent neurological inflammation in a mouse model following Gulf War toxic exposures. 

Most notably, according to the study's findings, "the persistent neuroinflammation evident in our model presents a platform with which to identify novel biological pathways, correlating with emergent outcomes that may be amenable to therapeutic targeting. Furthermore, in this work we confirmed our previous findings that GW [Gulf War] agent exposure causes neuropathological changes....

ACTION ALERT: Call Now for Gulf War Research Not Red Tape

UPDATE:  The amendment passed, narrowly, by a vote of 66-32.  These medical research programs have survived another attempt to destroy them.  

The roll call vote is posted below.

Friday, May 20, 2016

3 New Drugs for Fibromyalgia on the Way?


(91outcomes.com) - A new article discussed in detail three new drugs that could be on the way for fibromyalgia.  Fibromyalgia, a condition with chronic widespread pain at its core, is a presumptive for Veterans Affairs disability claims for veterans with Persian Gulf service from 1990 to the present.


The new drugs that could prove beneficial for fibromyalgia sufferers include:


  • IMC-1, "a combination of famciclovir (Famvir), a common antiviral, with celecoxib (Celebrex), an anti-inflammatory arthritis drug," for an FDA-cleared Phase III clinical trial in 2017.
  • Microgabalin (DS-5565), "which relieves pain by binding to the body’s calcium channels," but, with, "a unique binding profile and long duration of action at voltage gated calcium channels."
  • Tonmya (TNX-102 SL), a new under-the-tongue formulation of cyclobenzaprine HCL 2.8 mg to improve sleep quality, and, it is hoped thereby, other fibromyalgia symptoms.


Read the full, very well written article by Donna Gregory Burch for the National Pain Report, at:  http://nationalpainreport.com/three-new-fibromyalgia-drugs-could-be-on-the-way-8830514.html

New Study Shows Epigenetic Changes in Gulf War Toxin Rat Model

The study on which these findings are based was funded by the treatment-focused Gulf War Illness Research Program (GWIRP), within the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) administered by the U.S. Department of Defense health program.

Most notably, according to the study's findings, "Results from this study implicate a role for epigenetic alterations in GWI."

Saturday, April 30, 2016

NEWSMAX: CoQ10 Helps Gulf War Syndrome

Editor's Note:  The article is reporting on a treatment study by Dr. Beatrice Golomb of the University of California-San Diego that was funded by the Gulf War Illness Research Program (GWIRP) within the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) administered by the U.S. Department of Defense Health Programs under Congressional direction.

The CoQ10 utilized in the study is pharmaceutical grade, and not the variety sold at Walmart, Costco, etc.   The ubiquinone version of CoQ10 was used in the study.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Roskamp Researcher Awarded CDMRP Grant for Inflammatory, Metabolic Biomarkers

This study is funded by the Gulf War Illness Research Program (GWIRP) within the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), which are carried out under specific Congressional direction by the Department of Defense.

Monday, April 25, 2016

VA Hosting Gulf War Veteran Roundtable, Researchers, Town Hall Meeting this Week


(91outcomes.com) – The U.S. Department of Veterans (VA) Affairs Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans Illnesses (RAC-GWVI) will hold its next meetings on Thursday and Friday, April 28-29, 2016 in Washington, DC.

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

US MEDICINE: Advocates Describe Difficulties in Getting Gulf War Illness Diagnosis

SOURCE:  U.S. Medicine, April 2016, written by Sandra Basu
http://www.usmedicine.com/agencies/department-of-veterans-affairs/advocates-describe-difficulties-in-getting-gulf-war-illness-diagnosis/

ARCHIVED ARTICLE:

Advocates Describe Difficulties in Getting Gulf War Illness Diagnosis 

Legislators Agree That Research on Causes Needs to Continue
By Sandra Basu
WASHINGTON — Veterans are experiencing a high number of denials of Gulf War Illness-related claims at least partly because the condition “presents itself in a way that is not conducive to the traditional VA disability claims process,” an advocacy group told lawmakers last month.
“Gulf War Illness is an inherently difficult condition to diagnose and treat,” said Aleks Morosky, legislative service deputy director for the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW). “This is because it presents itself as a host of possible symptoms common to many veterans, rather than a single condition that is clearly identifiable and unmistakable.”

Monday, April 18, 2016

FIBROMYALGIA NEWS TODAY: Pain Sensitivity in Mice with Fibromyalgia Reduced with Natural Compounds

Editor's Note:  Fibromyalgia is a presumptive condition for VA claims purposes for Gulf War veterans.  The medical and pathophysiological relationships between fibromyalgia and the chronic widespread pain common in many Gulf War Illness patients remains unclear.

New England/Mass. Gulf War Veterans Needed for Gulf War Illness Study

The following multi-site study is funded by the Gulf War Illness Research Program (GWIRP), within the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) administered by the U.S. Department of Defense Health Programs under Congressional direction.  

Other sites recruiting include Miami, Florida and Houston, Texas.  More information about the Gulf War Illness Consortium (GWIC) is available from the GWIC website.

-91outcomes



***


Thursday, April 14, 2016

VA to Host Town Hall Meeting, Accept Written Comments on IOM Gulf War Recommendations

(91outcomes.com) - The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will host a public town hall meeting and accept written comments regarding the most recent report of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), National Academy of Sciences related to Gulf War veterans.

The report, released on February 11, 2016, identified Gulf War illness as the signature adverse health outcome of the 1991 Gulf War.  However, it also included a number of recommendations that have led to publicized controversy and Congressional scrutiny, including recommending the end to several broad areas of Gulf War research.

The VA's public notice is below with details about the town hall session and instructions on how to participate by teleconference and submit written comments for the record.

The meeting will immediately follow the second day's sessions of the April 28-29, 2016 meetings of the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses (RAC).

The full report is available for free download (PDF) at:  http://www.nap.edu/catalog/21840/gulf-war-and-health-volume-10-update-of-health-effects


***

[NOTE: emphasis, bolding, and colored fonts added]

PUBLIC NOTICE

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

ACTION: Notice of opportunity to provide oral comments at a town-hall style session, and the opportunity to provide written comments.

SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announces the opportunity for comment on recent recommendations made to VA by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in its report “Gulf War and Health, Volume 10: Update of Health Effects of Serving in the Gulf War, 2016” (http://nationalacademies.org/hmd/reports/2016/gulf-war-and-healthvolume-10.aspx ). 

All comments are welcome, but VA specifically seeks those that address the recommendations made on pages 8-11 and pages 264-272 of the IOM report. The listening session will be open to the public, and for interested parties who cannot attend in person, there is a toll-free telephone number (800) 767-1750; access code 56978#

Participants who wish to speak during the town-hall session should register by sending an email to victor.kalasinsky@va.gov by April 27, 2016

Written comments must be received by June 1, 2016. Each speaker will have 5 minutes to speak. It is recommended that the speaker not read written comments, but rather highlight critical points in the written material that should be submitted.

DATE: Friday, April 29, 2016, 1:30–4:00 p.m. Eastern Time

LOCATION: The meeting will be held at the Capital Hilton Hotel, 1001 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC, in the Pan American Room.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Victor Kalasinsky, Ph.D., Telephone: (202) 443–5600, victor.kalasinsky@va.gov.


****

There is an array of news articles and 91outcomes posts about the IOM report, including video footage and written testimony from a February 23, 2016 Congressional hearing, which included the IOM report as part of its critical focus:


MILITARY.COM: New Report Calls for Halt to Research on Gulf War Health Effects

BRADENTON HERALD: New study on Gulf War illness assailed by veterans advocates

FOX NEWS:  Vets fight new report that calls for halt to research on 'Gulf War Illness'

IOM Gulf War Report "Turns Science On Its Head," Researchers Say

Video and Printed Testimony - 25th Anniversary Gulf War Health Congressional Hearing 

Persian Gulf War: An Assessment of Health Outcomes on the 25th Anniversary

BUSPH NEWS: Researcher Urges Congress: Don’t Give Up on Gulf War Vets

Some Key Quotes from IOM's "Gulf War and Health, Volume 10"

MILITARY TIMES:  Panel to VA: Stop studying causes of Gulf War illnesses, focus on treatment

MILITARY TIMES: Persian Gulf veterans still fighting for proper health care 25 years after war

IOM: New report finds illness continues to be major effect linked to Gulf War military service

BUSPH: Professor Argues Gulf War Vets Are Counting on Researchers

ALS Link to Veterans of Persian Gulf War Suggested Again in US Government Report

MILITARY TIMES:  Panel to VA: Stop studying causes of Gulf War illnesses

IOM: New report finds illness continues to be major effect linked to Gulf War military service

Public Session Tomorrow: IOM Gulf War and Health Rewrite Committee

Letter to IOM from former RAC Chair and Members

ONLINE Gulf War Illness "Treatments Tried" Study - Now Recruiting Gulf War Illness Volunteers

The following study, by Dr. Beatrice Golomb of the University of California-San Diego, is funded by the Gulf War Illness Research Program (GWIRP), within the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) administered by the U.S. Department of Defense Health Programs under Congressional direction.  

-91outcomes

*****



Bronx VA Treatment Study Seeking Gulf War Illness Volunteers


The following study, led by Dr. Julia Golier of the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in the Bronx, New York City, is funded by the Gulf War Illness Research Program (GWIRP), within the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) administered by the U.S. Department of Defense Health Programs under Congressional direction.  

-91outcomes


***


Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Effectiveness of Individualized Acupuncture in Gulf War Illness Treatment






This Gulf War Illness pain treatment study of acupuncture, by Dr. Lisa Conboy of the New England School of Acupuncture, was funded by the Gulf War Illness Research Program (GWIRP), within the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) administered by the U.S. Department of Defense Health Programs under Congressional direction.  

-A.H.

*****



=================================================== 
The Effectiveness of Individualized Acupuncture Protocols in the Treatment of Gulf War Illness: A Pragmatic Randomized Clinical Trial 


Read the open-access, full-text article here:
http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0149161 

Abstract:



Gulf War Illness is a Complex Medical Illness characterized by multiple symptoms, including fatigue, sleep and mood disturbances, cognitive dysfunction, and musculoskeletal pain affecting veterans of the first Gulf War. No standard of care treatment exists.

This pragmatic Randomized Clinical Trial tested the effects of individualized acupuncture treatments offered in extant acupuncture practices in the community; practitioners had at least 5 years of experience plus additional training provided by the study. Veterans with diagnosed symptoms of Gulf War Illness were randomized to either six months of biweekly acupuncture treatments (group 1, n = 52) or 2 months of waitlist followed by weekly acupuncture treatments (group 2, n = 52). Measurements were taken at baseline, 2, 4 and 6 months. The primary outcome is the SF-36 physical component scale score (SF-36P) and the secondary outcome is the McGill Pain scale.

Of the 104 subjects who underwent randomization, 85 completed the protocol (82%). A clinically and statistically significant average improvement of 9.4 points (p = 0.03) in the SF-36P was observed for group 1 at month 6 compared to group 2, adjusting for baseline pain. The secondary outcome of McGill pain index produced similar results; at 6 months, group 1 was estimated to experience a reduction of approximately 3.6 points (p = 0.04) compared to group 2.

Individualized acupuncture treatment of sufficient dose appears to offer significant relief of physical disability and pain for veterans with Gulf War Illness. This work was supported by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs through the Gulf War Illness Research Program under Award No. W81XWH-09-2-0064. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Department of Defense.


ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01305811

Monday, April 11, 2016

BOSTON UNIVERSITY: BU/VA Thank Veterans during Gulf War 25th Anniversary



SOURCE: Boston University School of Medicine,  April 9, 2016,

http://www.bumc.bu.edu/busm/center-for-military-and-post-deployment-health-2/buva-thank-veterans-on-anniversary-of-gulf-war/

**Presentations from the event are here:  http://www.91outcomes.com/2016/04/presentations-from-boston-gulf-war-25th.html **


ARCHIVED ARTICLE:

Gulf War Anniversary Event
April 9, 2016
VA Boston Healthcare Jamaica Plain campus
Boston University joined with the VA Boston Healthcare System to host a thank you event for Veterans on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Gulf War. The event highlighted a quarter century of research conducted at BU and the VA related to Gulf War Illness and also included summaries of ongoing and upcoming studies.


Approximately 100 Gulf War Veterans attended the event.
Pictured from left to right are event organizers Barbara Niles PhD, DeAnna Mori PhD, Maxine Krengel PhD, and Carole Palumbo, PhD. Additional organizers include Roberta White PhD, Terrence Keane PhD, Kim Sullivan PhD, and Tom Allen.

BU Gulf War Illness Consortium Research Lead Kim Sullivan, PhD is joined by Research Professor of Neurology Margaret Naeser, PhD and Director for Veterans for Common Sense Mr. Anthony Hardie 



The Color Guard of the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine presented the Colors.
Each Gulf War Veteran in attendance received a hand-made thank you note from a Girl Scout.


The event was organized to thank GW Veterans on the 25th anniversary of the War.

Dr. Terence Keane, Assistant Dean for Research at BUSM, gave the welcoming remarks.

Each attendee received a commemorative Gulf War coin.


BU/VA Thank Veterans on Anniversary of Gulf War

On April 6, 1991, Iraq accepted the provisions of United National Security Council Resolution 687, thus ending the Gulf War. On April 9, 2016, Boston University joined with the VA Boston Healthcare System to host an event to thank those who served.
Dr. Terence Keane, Associate Chief of Staff, Research and Development at the VA Boston Healthcare System and Assistant Dean for Research at BU School of Medicine, gave the opening remarks. “We take this opportunity, on the 25th anniversary of the Gulf War, to offer you our sincere thanks,” Keane told the approximately 100 Gulf War Veterans in attendance.
Dr. Anna Hohler, Director for the Center for Military and Post Deployment Health at BU, thanked the Veterans for their continued service. “Not only did you serve in the Gulf, but you have continued to serve through your participation in research studies that will ultimately improve the health of your fellow soldiers and of the population in general,” Hohler said.
The Color Guard of the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine presented the Colors while The Newtones of Newton South High School sang the National Anthem.
Dr. Roberta White, Chair of the Department of Environmental Health at the BU School of Public Health, gave an overview of research conducted over the past quarter century. White, who told the Veterans of her personal connection having lost her own father to a war-related illness, has been involved in extensive research that has led to acceptance of Gulf War Illness (GWI) as a physical illness. White presented a summary of studies that have identified chemical exposures associated with GWI and neuroimaging evidence of structural brain damage associated with GWI.
Veterans also heard from several BU and VA researchers who continue to conduct ground-breaking studies related to Gulf War Illness. Drs. Barbara Niles, Margaret Naeser, Kimberly Sullivan, Rosemary Toomey, Maxine Krengel, Neil Kowall (represented by Ms. Tarnjit "Tannu" Singh) and Scott Kinlay presented information on current studies aimed at increasing our understanding of and improving treatment for GWI.
Mr. Anthony Hardie, a Veteran advocate and Director of Veterans for Common Sense, urged audience members to take part in ongoing research at BU and the VA. “These studies are only as good as our participation,” Mr. Hardie told his fellow Gulf War Veterans.
In addition to providing important information on Gulf War Illness and services available to Veterans, the event provided a forum for Veterans to talk with one another about their shared experiences. Most important, the gathering gave researchers and clinicians an opportunity to say thank you to the men and women who have served and continue to give through their study participation.

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE: Commission on Care Meeting, Written Statements



Federal Register Notice

Commission on Care Meeting Notice

A Notice by the Veterans Affairs Department on 04/07/2016


ACTION

Notice Of Meeting.





In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C., App. 2, the Commission on Care gives notice that it will meet on Monday, April 18, 2016, and Tuesday, April 19, 2016, at the J.W. Marriott, Jr. ASAE Conference Center, 1575 I St. NW., Washington, DC 20005. The meeting will convene at 8:30 a.m. and end by 6:00 p.m. (EDT) on Monday, April 18, 2016. The meeting will convene at 8:30 a.m. and end by 4:00 p.m. (EDT) on Tuesday, April 19, 2016. The meetings are open to the public.Show citation box
The purpose of the Commission, as described in section 202 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014, is to examine the access of veterans to health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs and strategically examine how best to organize the Veterans Health Administration, locate health care resources, and deliver health care to veterans during the next 20 years.
Time will be allocated at this meeting for receiving oral statements from the public on Tuesday, April 19th from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (EDT). Statements will be limited to five minutes and, due to time constraints, no more than ten individuals will be permitted to speak. Those interested in making oral statements, must register their intent to do so and provide written copies of their proposed statements to the Designated Federal Officer (DFO) no later than 5:00 p.m. (EDT). on Wednesday, April 15, 2016. Speaking slots will be confirmed on a first come, first serve basis. 
The public may also submit written statements at any time for the Commission's review to
Any members of the public wishing to attend the meeting may register their intentions by emailing the DFO, John Goodrich, at john.goodrich@va.gov. Remote attendees joining by telephone must email Mr. Goodrich by 12:00 p.m. (EDT) on Friday, April 15, 2016, to request dial-in information.

Date: April 1, 2016.
John Goodrich,
Designated Federal Officer, Commission on Care.
[FR Doc. 2016-07919 Filed 4-6-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P

PPT -- "Services and Benefits for Gulf War Veterans" - Anthony Hardie

PowerPoint presentation, "Services and Benefits for Gulf War Veterans," by Anthony Hardie, Gulf War veteran and Director, Veterans for Common Sense, at the VA Boston Healthcare System- and Boston University-sponsored Gulf War 25th Anniversary event, April 9, 2016, Boston, Mass.