TODAY'S CONGRESSIONAL HEARING Opening Statement of Hon. Harry Mitchell, Chairman, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

Thank you to everyone for attending today’s Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing entitled, Gulf War Illness Research: Is Enough Being Done?

We meet today to shed light on a topic that is critically important to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs: The health and care of our Gulf War veterans.

This hearing is not the first to address Gulf War Illness, and it certainly will not be the last. Today’s is the first in a series of Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearings examining the impact of toxin exposures during the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War and the subsequent research and response by government agencies including the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.

It has been almost 19 years since the United States deployed some 700,000 service members to the Gulf in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. When these troops returned home, some reported symptoms that were believed to be related to their service. Still today, these same veterans are looking for answers about proper medical treatment and the benefits that they bravely earned. While we hear about numerous studies and millions of dollars spent on Gulf War Illness research, many questions remain unanswered. In the end, we still don’t know how to respond to Gulf War veterans who asks: “Why am I sick or will I get sick?”

Today, we will attempt to establish an understanding of the research that has been conducted – and the actions that have been taken – in relation to Gulf War Illness. To better assess Gulf War Illness and its impact on veterans, we will look at another at-risk population, veterans who were exposed to the harmful toxins Agent Orange in Vietnam. In the past, we have seen service-related illnesses ignored, misunderstood, or swept under the rug. We must learn from those mistakes and ensure that our research and conclusions are accurate so that Gulf War Veterans are assured of the right diagnosis and the care and benefits they richly deserve.

Subsequent hearings on this issue will take a multi-level view of the methodology and conclusions of Gulf War Illness research and how the review of information was compiled and why certain methods were employed.

With a growing chorus of concern over the accuracy of existing research, and with a new administration leading the VA, it is time for us to make a fresh and comprehensive assessment of this issue and the body of research surrounding it.

We will hear testimony today from a Gulf War veteran, Veterans Service Organizations, two distinguished researchers from the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Illnesses, as well as government officials. I would like to thank all of our witnesses for appearing here today. I’d also like to extend my thanks to Jim Binns, who chaired the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses, for his contributions to this hearing and this issue.

I trust this hearing will provide useful insights to begin our evaluation of the existing research on toxic exposure and the work being done to care for Gulf War veterans and protect future generations of war fighters.

Research Team Trying CoQ10 to Aid Ill Gulf War Veterans: Seeking San Diego Area Volunteers

Written by Anthony Hardie, 91outcomes

(91outcomes.blogspot.com) -- Dr. Beatrice Golomb, M.D., Ph.D, and her research team at the University of California-San Diego are seeking 1991 Gulf War veteran volunteers in the San Diego area to participate in a treatment drug trial of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), an over-the-counter supplement that may benefit ill Gulf War veterans.

According to the Study:

"The purpose of The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Q10 and Gulf War Veterans Research Study is to learn whether taking Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10), an over-the-counter nutritional supplement, reduces symptoms and benefits the health and quality of life of Gulf War Veterans with chronic, multi-symptom health problems. Health problems may include fatigue, muscle or joint pain, memory problems, cognitive changes, sleep problems and others.

"CoQ10 is available over-the-counter but is considered experimental for use in treating veterans with Gulf War Illness. CoQ10 is an important antioxidant made by the body and helps protect against damage from toxins, chemicals, drugs, mental stress, and other factors. CoQ10 also helps to produce energy needed to keep the body healthy and functional, and protects against cell death and degenerative diseases."

The Research Study is funded through the U.S. Department of Defense's Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) through an annual appropriation made by Congress as it sees fit.

If you are an ill veteran of the 1991 Gulf War and are in the San Diego area (or will be), please volunteer to help your fellow Gulf War veterans by contacting this promising Study. More information is available from the Study website.

If you're not in the San Diego area, you can still try CoQ10 on your own, though you may want to consult your physician or read more online about it first.

According to the University of Minnesota, CoQ10 "appears to be generally safe with no significant side effects, except occasional stomach upset. However, the safety of CoQ10 supplementation during pregnancy and breast-feeding is unknown and, therefore, should not be used during that time until more information is available."

Recommended doses vary. According to the University of Minnesota, doses for adults age 19 and over can range from 30 to 200mg. However, nearby Mayo Clinic says doses of up to 1,200 mg split evenly have been taken twice per day.

CoQ10 is available for purchase in most local health food stores, and at low-cost online providers like Puritan's Pride, Swanson Vitamins, and VitaCost.

More treatment trials for ill Gulf War veterans are listed on the U.S. federal government's website, ClinicalTrials.gov.

Next Live Webcast - Congressional Hearing on Gulf War Illness Research

U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Oversight Subcommittee Hearing

"Gulf War Illness Research: Is Enough Being Done?"

Tuesday, May 19
10 a.m. Eastern / 9 a.m. Central / 8 a.m. Mountain / 7 a.m. Pacific

New VA Rolls Out Same Old Cast of Characters for May 19th Congressional Hearing

By Anglico.

Nearly two decades after the 1991 Gulf War, VA continues to roll out the same characters to testify how that VA is doing more than enough to aid veterans left ill by their Gulf War service.

While it is true that VA does an exceptional job in providing post-combat mental health, orthopedic, and other services, VA has not done even an adequate job in seeking answers to what's wrong with so many Gulf War veterans and what they have in common.

In July 2007, Dr. Lawrence Deyton -- VA's principal witness for the May 19th hearing -- testified:

"Registry findings demonstrate that Gulf War veterans are not showing up with any unique health problems; however, these findings do not tell us if veterans are suffering from any diagnoses at rates different from expected. That requires population-based epidemiological and related research studies, which VA has carried out."

If this were true, then where are VA's publications about rates of MS and other dymelinating disorders, fibromyalgia/fibromyositis (FMS), myalgic encephalopathy/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), respiratory diseases, cancers, and other serious diseases that are being reported anecdotally among Gulf War veterans?

And where is VA's detailed death registry that explains the 40-50 or more deaths of Gulf war veterans each month, as tracked by Denise Nichols, a former Major in the U.S. Air Force who served during the war as a flight nurse. Has VA even bothered to contact Maj. Nichols to discuss her findings, which are shared widely in the Gulf War veteran community?

One of the veterans testifying at the same July 26, 2007 hearing, Anthony Hardie, pointedly noted VA's failure to provide published information to Gulf War veterans anymore:

"The VA’s Office of Public Health and Environmental Hazards website contains little information that might be of any use to ill Gulf War veterans or their health providers. Much of the information provided is dated between 1996 and 2001, years before the more recent research discoveries related to ill Gulf War veterans that affirm what Gulf War veterans have been saying all along – that their Gulf War exposures are what made them ill.

"In July 2006, the VA’s “Gulf War Review” included an article entitled, “Straight from the Source: VA’s Environmental Agents Service is Serious About Communicating With Veterans.” That issue, a year ago, was the last issue published."

The VA officials testifying, Dr. Lawrence Deyton, Dr. Joel Kupersmith, and Mark Brown, Ph.D. -- the same three VA officials as in July 2007 -- testified that the "Gulf War Review" was set to be published by the end of that summer. Since the publication had been discontinued and the Gulf war community already knew this, it was no surprise that this was an outright lie. In fact, the next issue didn't come out until mid-Summer 2008, pre-dated May 2008.

These same three VA officials noted that the VA's Gulf War website for was also set to be updated. Not surprisingly, given the utter lack of priority they give to ill Gulf War veterans, nearly two years later and that web update has yet to happen.

Instead of rolling out the same old dog-and-pony-show on Tuesday, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki and President Obama's other appointed senior leaders at VA should be taking personal responsibility for this issue and giving Gulf War veterans the high-level attention they deserve.

VA should also identify what new resources VA needs to provide adequate treatment, and systematically and proactively inform VA clinicians and Gulf War veterans of the most recent research related to understanding and treating ill Gulf War veterans, who continue to suffer.

Eastern Medicine Helps Chronic Pain for Gulf War Veteran, Others

Written by Anthony Hardie, 91outcomes

(91outcomes.blogspot.com) -- A Seattle Post-Intelligencer article today describes the Seattle VA's efforts to incorporate Eastern medicine treatments in the management of chronic widespread pain, a common unexplained symptom among veterans of the 1991 Gulf War left ill by their military service.

Veterans of the current Iraq and Afghanistan Wars with pain, PTSD, and anxiety are also helped by the treatment, which incorporate Buddhist meditation, deep breathing exercises, and a technique called "mindfulness."

While the treatments don't eliminate the source of pain or anxiety, they help to lessen the effects and have been shown to improve the quality of life in those who use them regularly.

Urban Dharma has published a free eBook on Mindfulness that provides a step-by-step guide to Insight meditation, practiced in Asia for centuries.

Until there are effective treatments to eliminate the source of chronic widespread pain in ill Gulf War veterans, experiments with Eastern medicine are showing promise in making it a little easier to live with the lasting effects of the 1991 Gulf War's toxic soup.

Full Witness List for May 19th Congressional Hearing Released: VA Rolls out More of the Same

Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 10:00 AM, 340 Cannon House Office Building, Capitol Hill, Washington, DC - U.S House of Representatives Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

"Gulf War Illness Research: Is Enough Being Done?" -- Congressional Hearing Witness Testimonies

• Panel 1

• Jim Bunker, Gulf War Veteran and President, National Gulf War Resource Center
• Paul Sullivan, Executive Director, Veterans for Common Sense
• Richard F. Weidman, Executive Director for Policy and Government Affairs, Vietnam Veterans of America
• Roberta F. White Ph.D., Scientific Director, Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses, Professor and Chair of the Department of Environmental Health, Associate Dean of Research at Boston University School of Public Health
• Lea Steele Ph.D., Immediate Past Scientific Director, Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses, Adjunct Associate Professor, Kansas State University School of Human Ecology



• Panel 2

• Robert D. Walpole, Former Special Assistant for Gulf War Illness Issues, Office of the Assistant Director of Central Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency
• Accompanied by:
• Loren J. Fox Jr., Former Senior Analyst for Gulf War Illness Issues, Central Intelligence Agency
• R. C. Postlewaite DVM, Deputy Director of Force Readiness and Health Assurance, Force Health Protection and Readiness Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, U.S. Department of Defense
• Lawrence Deyton M.D., Chief Public Health and Environmental Hazards Officer, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• Accompanied by:
• Joel Kupersmith M.D., Chief Research and Development Officer, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• Mark Brown Ph.D., Director, Environmental Agents Service, Office of Public Health and Environmental Hazards, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Congress to Hold Hearing on Adequacy of Gulf War Illness Research

Written by Anthony Hardie, 91outcomes

While nearly two years have passed since its last hearing on Gulf War veterans' illnesses, the leadership of the the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Veterans' Affairs should be applauded for scheduling what should prove to be a groundbreaking hearing, entitled, Gulf War Illness Research: Is Enough Being Done, on Tuesday, May 19th.

Gulf War veterans should commend Subcommittee Chairman Harry Mitchell (D-Ariz.) and Ranking Member David Poe (R-Tenn.) for their leadership in scheduling this hearing, as well as full Committee Chair Bob Filner (D-Calif.) and Ranking Member Steve Buyer (R-Ind.). Buyer publicly discussed his own experiences with his Gulf War illness when he was first elected to Congress, but quickly learned that public life's impossible demands include require an image of perfect "fitness," regardless of how much one's personal experiences might help impact their ability to do a job well.

The word on Capitol Hill is that the hearing list will include the following speakers (tentative):

* An official representative of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
* An official representative of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
* An official representative of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. In 1996, then-CIA analyst Patrick Eddington released a book entitled Gassed in the Gulf, which blew the lid off official government denials of Iraq's forward-deployment and use of chemical warfare agents during the 1991 Gulf War. It should be interesting to hear the CIA's perspectives. Gulf War veterans are hopeful that the Obama Administration will be as willing to expose previously unreleased information that might reveal more about specific Gulf War exposures, which could ultimately have a positive impact on their health and lives.
* The Honorable Jim Binns, Chair of the Congressionally Chartered Federal Research Advisory Committee (RAC) on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses. Binns is a former Principal Assistant Secretary of Defense in two Administrations, and is a Vietnam veteran. Binns earned the respect of the organized Gulf War veteran community through his continued work on and off the Committee on behalf of ill Gulf War veterans, including through his 2007 Congressional testimony, in which he stated his deep concerns regarding, "government manipulation of science and violation of law to devalue the health problems of ill veterans" -- perhaps news to Congress and the public, but certainly not to the 210,000 ill Gulf War veterans.
* Dr. Lea Steele, Ph.D., immediate past Scientific Director of the RAC. Dr. Steele was the primary author of the RAC's newsmaking 2008 report, entitled Gulf War Illness and the Health of Gulf War Veterans , which comprehensively summarized the work and findings of the Committee, stating in part, "The extensive body of scientific research now available consistently indicates that Gulf War illness is real, that it is the result of neurotoxic exposures during Gulf War deployment, and that few veterans have recovered or substantially improved with time." Previously, Dr. Steele led one of the nation's earliest epidemiological efforts studying ill Gulf War veterans with the Kansas Gulf War Veterans Health Study, which Congress finally asked her about in 2002.
* Dr. Roberta White, Ph.D, a renowned neuropsychologist who is Scientific Director of the RAC and serves as Chair of the Boston University School of Public Health's Department of Environmental Health. While the rest of the world was shocked, VA failed to react to the earthshattering reports of the 2007 research study released by Dr. White that showed that the brains of ill Gulf War veterans had measurably less white matter than their colleagues.
* Mr. Rick Weidman, current Director of Government Relations for Vietnam Veterans of America. As a partially disabled Vietnam veteran himself, Weidman knows all too well about the meaning behind VVA's motto, Never Again Shall One Generation of Veterans Abandon Another and the lonely fight against VA and the federal Government by Vietnam veterans in order to obtain offical recognition of, health care for, and appropriate assistance related to chemical exposures (Agent Orange, Project 112/SHAD, and others) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In addition to being a national leader in Vietnam veterans' advocacy, Weidman has taken on advocating for post-Vietnam veterans as a personal mission, regularly speaking and participating at events important to their assistance.
* Mr. Paul Sullivan, co-founder and previous, longtime Executive Director of the National Gulf War Resource Center, leading the Gulf War veteran community's efforts to introduce, pass, and implement the Persian Gulf War Veterans Act of 1998. Sullivan is a partially disabled Gulf War veteran who, for many years worked inside the federal VA's data management office culling critical statistics about Gulf War veterans' disability claims, death rates, and benefits usage trends. Oddly enough, VA has never made these invaluable reports publicly available on its website, though perhaps that will change in the Obama Administration. Today, he serves as Executive Director of Veterans for Common Sense, an advocacy group he also co-founded.

The May 19th hearing should certainly prove revealing and ultimately helpful to Gulf War veterans -- 210,000 of whom have been ill for nearly two decades and whose health has largely stayed the same or gotten worse.However, in a strange twist, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs today published it's daily Federal Report mistakenly entitling the hearing, Gulf War Illness Research: Fact or Fiction? While that's certainly the tact that key mid-level officials (who have served as gatekeepers for years) have taken for the last nearly two decades regarding Gulf War illness, it is hoped by many in the Gulf War veteran community that the Obama Administration and Obama's new VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, will clean house and ensure that ill Gulf War veterans finally receive research-based VA treatment that improves their health and lives.

The hearing, will be held on Tuesday, May 19th, 2008, at 10:00 a.m. local (Eastern) time in the main committee hearing room of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, Room 334 of the Cannon House Office Building (HOB) [city map], on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

The hearing is open to the public and Gulf War veterans and their families are welcome to attend.

Tragedy of Another Gulf War Veteran

Written by Anthony Hardie, 91outcomes

(91outcomes.blogspot.com) - The case of a Gulf War veteran's parents suing the city of Washington, DC after the police shot and killed the 38-year-old mentally ill veteran is truly a tragedy.

According to a local DC ABC 7 news story, the family was concerned about him and called neighbors to check on him, who in turn called police when they found the Gulf War veteran's condo door ajar. Despite reportedly being known by police to have mental health problems, the Gulf War veteran was shot and killed by police in a tragic incident.

David Kerstetter was healthy enough to pass the military's rigorous entrance exams two decades ago, but didn't survive for Kuwait's 20th anniversary of the liberation that he helped achieve.

How much must Gulf War veterans and their families suffer before Congress, VA, and DOD act to provide effective treatments for Gulf War veterans' illnesses?

Perhaps with effective treatment nearly two decades ago, Kerstetter would still be not only alive, but healthy, his family would not be grieving, and the DC police would not be being sued.

There were only 697,000 troops who served in the 1991 Gulf War. Tragically, we have lost yet another.

ALS Claims Yet Another Gulf War Veteran -- Still no Effective Treatments

Written by Anthony Hardie, 91outcomes

(91outcomes.blogspot.com) -- Published today in select news outlets in the U.S. and the Arabian Gulf States, Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Harold Jackson writes a powerful commentary and eulogy of Homer Pledger, Jr. -- a former Army Staff Sergeant and yet another veteran of the 1991 Gulf War to die from ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease).

As Jackson notes, ALS is an incredibly cruel neuro-degenerative disease, with its ever-encroaching paralysis that leaves its victims to finally suffocate in a few short years, in full awareness of what is happening to them.

Testifying before Congress in July 2007, retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Thomas "Mick" Micolajcik told an enrapt audience in the U.S. House Committee on Veterans' Affairs hearing room of his personal experiences suffering from ALS, and calling for treatments.

General Mick's poignant testimony included the following:

"Military veterans, like me, face a higher risk of this relentless killer [ALS].

"50 percent die in one to three years, another 20 percent die within five years and only 10 percent may live to 10 years.

"It was learned in 2001 that Gulf War veterans have two times the incident rate of the general population..."

General Mick then went on to pointedly address the stunning facts that federal agencies only "dabble" in ALS research, there is no one entity in charge of ALS research, there is no existing strategic plan for ALS research, and there has been only one drug developed in the last 70 years and it is of questionable value.

None of us who met him could ever forget General Mick and his valiant efforts on behalf of his fellow veterans -- but I am afraid that Congress has already forgotten him, and the rest of us Gulf War veterans.

It is true that in November 2008, the federal VA finally granted "presumptive service-connection" for U.S. military veterans with ALS, just a week after being informed of research regarding ALS in Gulf War veterans that was presented to the Congressionally-mandated Federal Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses.

However, like the rest of Gulf War veterans suffering from Gulf War illness, no new treatments have been developed to help ALS victims, no new strategies have been implemented, and funding for new Congressionally Directed Medical Research focused on treatments for ALS and Gulf War Illness continues to be at the bottom of Congress' spending pile.

How much must our veterans and their families suffer before Congress moves to implement the recommendations made to its members on July 26, 2007?

Philadelphia Inquirer Photos: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/gallery/20090419_A_soldier_s_last__valiant_fight.html

Extreme Home Makeover Provides Home for Gulf War Veterans with Gulf War Illness, MS

By Rebecca Bunch
The Chowan Herald

Sunday, May 10, 2009
Jamesville, Virginia —

Cooking and cleaning may not be most men’s idea of a good time, but they fill Jeff Cooper’s heart with joy.

Cooper, whose family is settling into their ‘Extreme Makeover’ house completed just weeks ago, said he loves spending time in the kitchen, now that he can.

He explained that he used to get a lot of pleasure from cooking and helping with the housework, especially baking cakes for his wife, Clara. But that’s difficult to do when you’ve ended up in a wheelchair in a kitchen that’s not handicapped accessible.

“The first night we were here, after the house was finished, Clara woke up and found me in the kitchen just checking everything out,” Cooper said. “I guess it was about 3:30 in the morning. I was just so excited about getting back in there again that I couldn’t sleep.”

Comfortable surroundings

Clara said amenities like a double-dishwasher have enabled Jeff to start cooking and cleaning up the kitchen again, “and I’m happy about that.”

She said that once her husband, a Desert Storm veteran who suffers from Gulf War Syndrome and multiple sclerosis, was in a wheelchair, using the kitchen became very difficult.

“Jeff doesn’t have very good trunk balance,” she said, “and he could easily have fallen trying to put dishes in a single, big dishwasher but two smaller ones are perfect for him.”

In fact, the whole house is designed to make life easier for Jeff. One of Jeff’s other favorite things about the house are the stable-style interior doors that slide rather than having to be pushed open and shut, “because he can handle them by himself,” Clara said.

And the bathroom, too, is handicapped accessible making it easier for Jeff to enjoy soaking in the tub.

For a man who readily admits that in their old home, he often felt like a burden to his wife, life is good.

Best bedroom

Clara said that her favorite rooms are the master bedroom and adjoining bathroom.

“I could live in these two rooms and never come out,” she said with a big smile as she showed one of a steady stream of visitors around during an open house the family held this week. And that’s just what Jeff was hoping for after his family was selected from among five in the area to receive a new home.

“The one room in the house I asked for was for my wife,” he said, tearing up. “She’s the first one up every morning, and the last to bed every night. She takes care of my children, and she takes care of me.”

“I told Ty Pennington, ‘if you can give my wife a nice place to rest, a tub to soak in, something like a 5-star hotel room to rest in, that’s all I want.’ And he met that challenge.”

Meeting Powell

Once they knew they had been selected, the Cooper family, accompanied by Jeff’s devoted dog, Gabby — a 4-year-old Jack Russell terrier/Chihuahua mix who is specially trained to detect seizures and muscle spasms in humans — headed off for a visit arranged by the ‘Makeover’ show to Washington, D.C., a fitting trip for a man who had been honored as North Carolina Veteran of the Year in 2003.

And while they were there, Cooper said, he didn’t worry about what was happening back at home.

He said from watching the show in the past, he had faith that everything would turn out all right.

While there, Cooper had the chance to meet one of his personal heroes, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Colin Powell.

“If I hadn’t gotten to do one other thing besides meet him,” Jeff said, “that would have enough for me.”

More surprises

But a bigger surprise lay ahead.

As they neared their driveway on the trip home, he said, that was “a very special moment” for his family.

They could see down the road, see all the people outside who had worked so hard to make their new home possible, along with others who had come to offer their congratulations and good wishes to the family.

“In spite of the fact that it had rained all day, they stood out there, waiting for me and my family, to show us how much they cared,” Jeff said.

When asked how she felt as she saw all the people waiting, Clara said, “Speechless.” It felt, she said, like a dream come true.

And that’s exactly how Jeff described the moment when everybody yelled, “Move that bus” and he saw the family’s new log cabin home for the first time.

A log cabin-style house, he said, had been a long cherished dream, but one he had thought was not going to happen for him, his wife, Clara, and their children, Windy and Aaron.

“It still hasn’t sunk in,” he said. “I’m amazed! I still can’t believe it’s ours.”

WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL: BilL--Tell Vets About Health Risks

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Written by JASON STEIN, Wisconsin State Journal :: LOCAL :: D1

Bill: Tell Vets About Health Risks -- Measure Would Require State Agency To Tell Veterans About The Possible Health Risks Of Depleted Uranium

jstein@madison.com (608) 252-6129

Former Army Reserve soldier Chris Kornkven never saw combat in the first Gulf War, but he believes he suffered an invisible wound.

Years after serving in Saudi Arabia in 1991, the 41-year-old former sergeant first class fights fatigue and joint pain. He carries a digital organizer to help him remember short-term facts he was able to remember with ease before the war. He believes his exposure to depleted uranium is at least partly to blame for his symptoms.

"It's a daily frustration dealing with them, particularly knowing how I had been prior to going into" the war, Kornkven said Kornkven, who lives in Helenville in Jefferson County, supports a bill before the state Senate that would require veterans to be given better information about the risks of the toxic, radioactive substance.

The bill is one of a pair of proposals designed to help veterans exposed to health risks understand those risks, watch out for health effects and seek treatment for any symptoms.

The bill passed the Republican-controlled state Assembly by a unanimous vote last month and is now in the Senate, where veterans committee Chairman Sen. Jim Sullivan, D-Wauwatosa, supports it and has promised a hearing. Gov. Jim Doyle also supports the measure, spokesman Matt Canter said.

If passed, the bill would make Wisconsin one of a handful of states with similar legislation, according to its author, Rep. Tom Nelson, D-Kaukauna. Nelson said the proposal would help avoid long delays - like the ones that occurred after the Vietnam War - in notifying soldiers of health hazards.

"I don't want us to repeat the mistakes of the past and that's why I want (Wisconsin) to get ahead of the curve on this," Nelson said.

The second proposal is a budget provision that would create a list of the state's veterans to inform them of findings affecting their health.

Possible health risks A byproduct of refining uranium for nuclear power, depleted uranium is less radioactive than other uranium isotopes. Its high density makes it good for both tank armor and the shells used to pierce that armor. The possibility of health risks such as birth defects in soldiers' children from exposure to shrapnel or small particles of the metal has generated years of controversy.

A study by the University of Southern Maine released last month showed depleted uranium can damage DNA in human lung cells in cultures outside the body, raising cancer fears. But the study's author, John Pierce Wise, has said lung cancer can take decades to develop and it's too early to tell whether depleted uranium could cause lung cancer in soldiers who breathed in fine particles of the heavy metal created by a battlefield strike.

Military authorities have pointed to 2005 findings by the government-owned Sandia National Laboratories that only a few veterans accidentally hit by U.S. munitions have had exposures to depleted uranium high enough to put them at significant risk.

'Very clear message' The Nelson bill requires the state Department of Veterans Affairs to use its existing resources to provide veterans with information about the possible health effects of exposure to depleted uranium and how they can be tested.

The veterans department supports the bill because it sends "a very clear message" that notifying veterans is an important priority, said Anthony Hardie, executive assistant at the agency.

Hardie, a Gulf War veteran, said veterans of that conflict faced possible exposure to burning oil well fires, low levels of chemical warfare agents and experimental drugs and vaccines - "a veritable toxic soup."

The veterans department also wants to develop a list of the state's 469,000 veterans to inform them of findings affecting their health. That measure is in the budget bill recently sent to the Senate and has the support of Senate Majority Leader Judy Robson, D-Beloit.

Hardie, who was exposed to smoke from oil well fires and now has lung problems, said it can take time to discover health effects from battlefield agents such as the Agent Orange herbicide and defoliant used during the Vietnam War.

Depleted uranium gives troops an edge in battle but comes with possible risks troops and the public need to understand, Hardie said.

"If that's what we accomplish with all of this, then this bill will have done some good," he said.

Nausea and fatigue Kornkven said it wasn't until well after he returned from duty in north-central Saudi Arabia along the Iraq border that he learned of the possible dangers of depleted uranium. In April 1991, the former radio repairman toured a battlefield in Kuwait where he climbed on Iraqi tanks that had been hit by U.S. tank rounds and other munitions.

Within weeks of that tour, he began suffering from nausea and fatigue. When he returned to the states, his fatigue, joint pain and short-term memory problems persisted. Kornkven eventually tested positive for exposure to depleted uranium.

Kornkven said it has been difficult and frustrating trying to get help and answers from the federal Department of Veterans Affairs.

"You kind of wonder how many other soldiers are continuing to be exposed to that stuff over there and aren't given any sort of follow-up testing for that," he said.

About the legislation

What: A pair of state legislative proposals would make it easier for returning troops to receive information about possible health risks like depleted uranium.

Pro: Supporters said the state should work to avoid past mistakes in failing to help veterans deal with the health risks of war.

Con: Critics have said the risks from materials like depleted uranium have not been proven.

WISCONSIN EYE: 2008 State of Wisconsin Conference on Gulf War Veterans' Illness Video and Audio Coverage

01.17.08 | 2008 Conference on Gulf War Veterans' Illness (Remarks)
The State of Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) was host to the 2008 Conference on Gulf War Veterans‚ Illnesses in conjunction with the 17th anniversary of the beginning of 1991 Persian Gulf War. Wisconsin remains the first state in the nation, through 2005 Wis. Act 37, to designate an annual Gulf War Illnesses Recognition Day in recognition of those who still suffer from post-deployment health issues. WDVA Secretary John A. Scocos, the opening speaker, presents a Proclamation from Governor Jim Doyle proclaiming Jan. 17, 2008 as Gulf War Illnesses Recognition Day in Wisconsin.
Watch | Listen
01.17.08 | 2008 Conference on Gulf War Veterans' Illness (Presentation One)
In conjunction with the 2008 Conference on Gulf War Veterans‚ Illness, Anthony Hardie, WDVA Executive Assistant who has testified before Congress and served in an advisory capacity on Gulf War veterans‚ health issues for numerous governmental bodies and non-profits, presents, Lost in the Shuffle: Veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
Watch | Listen
01.17.08 | 2008 Conference on Gulf War Veterans' Illness (Presentation Two)
As part of the 2008 Conference on Gulf War Veterans‚ Illness, Dane B. Cook, Ph.D., William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital/ Exercise Psychology Laboratory, UW-Madison and Aaron Stegner, Ph.D., Exercise Psychology Laboratory, UW-Madison, present information on research they are conducting on the issue of Gulf Veterans and Pain.
Watch | Listen

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE: Army adds uranium hazard to soldiers' guide to survival

Wednesday, September 23, 1998
Written by Kathleen Sullivan, Associated Press

Army adds uranium hazard to soldiers' guide to survival

The "smart book," which offers battlefield survival tips, now will have a section on the hazards of depleted uranium. The toxic substance is used in bombs that can pierce tank armor.

ARLINGTON, Va. -- In a move applauded by Persian Gulf war veterans, the Pentagon has announced plans to add information about the hazards of depleted uranium explosions to its "smart book," the manual issued to all soldiers during basic training.

The book, formally known as the Common Tasks Training manual, lists about 40 duties soldiers must master -- how to dig a foxhole, read a compass, administer first aid, survive in hot and cold weather.

Soldiers call it the "smart book" because failing to heed its directives can lead to fatal mistakes on the battlefield.

When the revised manual is issued this year, it also will tell soldiers how to protect themselves from the hazards linked to depleted uranium ammunition, which is made of a heavy metal that is radioactive, said Lt. Col. Charles Kelsey, who serves on the faculty of the Pentagon's medical school in Bethesda, Md.

During a recent interview at the third annual Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Conference in Arlington, Va., Kelsey said the manual will address the hazards of depleted uranium and other radioactive substances.

Kelsey said the hazards posed by depleted uranium were "pretty minor" compared with other battlefield dangers.

But Paul Sullivan, executive director of the national Gulf War Resource Center, which sponsored the conference, hailed the Pentagon's move as a victory for today's soldiers.

In recent years the group, a coalition of veterans' rights organizations across the country, has pressured the Pentagon to train soldiers about the hazards of depleted uranium exposure.

"We want to learn from the mistakes of the past," Sullivan said.

Now, many veterans are fighting for medical care and compensation for ailments they believe are linked to depleted uranium exposure.

In January, the Pentagon said thousands of soldiers may have been exposed to depleted uranium. Veterans groups say as many as 400,000 may have been exposed.

The explosions, the Pentagon said, created an estimated 630,000 pounds of depleted uranium dust and debris.

Anthony Hardie, 30, a gulf war veteran attending the conference, said depleted uranium was one of many toxic substances soldiers were exposed to in the fighting.

"What happened to us should never again happen," he said. "It's important that we protect our current force in the gulf and in the service.

"The manual fits in the cargo pocket of battle dress uniform pants," said Hardie, who served in the Persian Gulf and Somalia, and is president of the Gulf War Veterans of Wisconsin. "You carry it with you everywhere."

The depleted uranium ammunition, which was fired by U.S. tanks and aircraft, was used for the first time in combat in the gulf war. It ignites on impact and blasts holes through tanks. Many nations have since added it to their arsenals.

Depleted uranium explosion hazards

* The Pentagon has admitted that soldiers sent to the Persian Gulf war were not told that inhaling, ingesting or absorbing the hazardous residue created by a depleted uranium explosion could cause cancer, or respiratory, kidney and skin disorders.

UPI: Analysis--Gulf War illness still incurable

Published: July 27, 2007 at 11:12 A.M.
Written by ROSALIE WESTENSKOW, UPI Correspondent

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WASHINGTON, July 26 (UPI) -- Many U.S. Gulf War veterans continue to suffer from mysterious illnesses more than 16 years after the conflict ended, several witnesses testified this week before a congressional committee.

"One in four of those who served -- 175,000 veterans -- remains seriously ill," James Binns, chairman of the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses, said at a House of Representatives Health subcommittee hearing.

Gulf War syndrome or illness manifests itself through a plethora of symptoms, including dizziness, fatigue, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems, severe headaches, respiratory problems, stiffness and difficulty concentrating. Veterans began displaying these symptoms before the war ended in 1991, but a decade and a half later, many physicians feel unsure of how to treat these patients

"There remains no effective treatment," Binns said.

In the absence of any cure, many doctors resort to treating each individual symptom with different medications, such as sleeping pills and diarrhea medication, said Meryl Nass from Mount Desert Island Hospital in Bar Harbor, Maine, who has conducted a specialty clinic to treat patients with Gulf War syndrome for eight years.

"It's a piecemeal approach," Nass said at the hearing. "You can improve their functioning maybe 30 or 40 percent, but they certainly don't get cured."

One of the difficulties in treating the illness lies in general confusion over the exact causes of the illness and a lack of effective research on treatments, witnesses said. Although research has not proven definitive causes, the high level of toxins military personnel were exposed to probably caused most of the damage, said Lea Steele, scientific director of the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses.

"The most consistent and extensive amount of available evidence implicates a group of chemicals to which veterans were exposed that can have toxic effects on the brain," Steele said. "These chemicals include pills -- NAPP pills or pyridostigmine -- given to protect troops from the effects of nerve agents, excessive use of pesticides and low levels of nerve gas."

Other toxins include smoke from more than 600 burning Kuwaiti oil wells, military vaccines and low-level doses of chemical weapons, Steele said.

While the symptoms of Gulf War syndrome overlap with those of many other illnesses, they manifest themselves much more heavily in Gulf War veterans than those from other eras, suggesting something specific in the Gulf War triggered this new syndrome, Steele said.

"It's not what we see in the general population and it's not what we see in any other veterans group this age," she said.

This hodgepodge of health problems seen in Gulf War veterans is not simply a manifestation of psychological problems either, Steele said.

"Comprehensive studies have found no connection between Gulf War illness and combat experiences in the war," she said. "This stands to reason since, in contrast to current deployments, severe stress and trauma were relatively uncommon in the 1991 Gulf War."

The war itself lasted for less than six months, with only four days of ground combat.

The $260 million spent on Gulf War illness research by the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs has resulted in few breakthroughs, Nass said. One reason for this lies in an a focus on psychiatric causes, instead of toxins or vaccines and research that did look at these factors often had faulty methodology, leading to useless results, she said.

"Failed research does not happen by itself," Nass said.

In many studies, the wrong questions were asked, dubious research methods were used or sample sizes were too small to yield statistically significant data.

Much of this research resulted from an effort to discount veterans' claims that their sickness resulted from their military service, said Anthony Hardie, legislative chair and national treasurer for Veterans of Modern Warfare, a veterans advocacy organization.

"Years were squandered disputing whether Gulf War veterans were really ill, studying stress (and) reporting that what was wrong with Gulf War veterans was the same as after every war," Hardie said. "An incredible amount of effort was put into disproving the claims of countless veterans testifying before Congress about chemical and other exposures."

However, Veterans Affairs officials said the department has continuously worked to respond to the unique symptoms of Gulf War veterans.

"Even before the 1991 Gulf War ceasefire, VA had concerns that returning veterans might have certain unique health problems, including respiratory effects from exposure to the intense oil fire smoke," said Lawrence Deyton, chief public health and environmental hazards officer for the Veterans Health Administration. "VA quickly established a clinical registry to screen for this possibility."

But the data collected from the registry does not prove that Gulf War veterans suffer from any unique illness, Deyton said.

"After 15 years, the principal finding from VA's systematic clinical registry examination of about 14 percent of 1991 Gulf War veterans is that they are suffering from a wide variety of common, recognized illnesses," he said. "However, no new or unique syndrome has been identified."

The department did ask Congress for the authority to provide disability coverage, though, to veterans with difficult-to diagnose or undiagnosed illnesses who claimed the problem stemmed from military service.

"This statute as amended authorizes VA to pay compensation for disabilities that cannot be diagnosed as a specific disease or injury, or for certain illnesses with unknown cause including chronic fatigue syndrome ... and irritable bowel syndrome," Deyton said.

However, the government should take greater responsibility for conducting research on how to treat these veterans, said Brig. Gen. Thomas Mikolajcik, a Gulf War veteran diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, a rare condition that causes a progressive degeneration of the nerve cells in the brain and occurs twice as much in military personnel as among the rest of the population and two times as often among Gulf War veterans as other veterans.

"Establish a congressionally directed ALS Task Force with specific milestones and a time line," Mikolajcik said.