Lessons Learned, Lessons Lost: The U.S. WWII Chemical Warfare Agent Sniff Kit

Disabled Michigan Gulf War Veteran to Ride Across State

Written by Lisa Perkins, Traverse City, Mich. Record-Eagle

(TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. - August 17, 2009) -- Steve Buse is always up for a challenge.

This week the disabled veteran and artist will begin a 150-mile bicycle ride across the state with hopes that reaching a goal that once seemed unattainable will serve as an inspiration to others who share his circumstances.

The former world-class skier who suffers from degenerative arthritis and fibromyalgia, as well as disabilities resulting from injuries suffered while serving in the Persian Gulf War, credits a great deal of his ability to keep active to his association with Challenge Mountain in Boyne City.

"They got skis under my feet again, something that I thought would never happen," said Buse, who not only skis at Challenge Mountain, but volunteers for the facility that helps the physically impaired and mentally challenged achieve their maximum potential through outdoor therapeutic recreation.

"Seeing the smile on other skiers' faces, you can't pay for that. It chokes me up to see the positive results," Buse said.

Participants at Challenge Mountain have the opportunity to work one-on-one with instructors, using adaptive equipment, to get them out on the slopes during winter months or doing a variety of outdoor activities throughout the year.

"The Challenge Mountain people have helped me out so much that I wanted to do something to help let other people know how great they are," said Buse, who had originally hoped to walk the route that begins in Traverse City and takes him across the state, stopping at his mother's home in Ossineke and finally to his father's home in Alpena.

"I have been thinking about doing this for a couple of years, but my body is just tearing apart and walking wasn't going to be an option, so we came up with this idea to ride a bike," said Buse, who will leave from the corner of Front and Union streets during Friday Night Live festivities.

Taking the trip in small sections with days off to camp and rest, Buse is planning on spending two weeks to complete the ride.

"This is going to be sort of a vacation for me, but I wanted to make something good of it too, so if people find out more about Challenge Mountain because of me, all the better," Buse said.

Focus on Fibromyalgia: O, The Oprah Magazine Offers Alternative Treatment Suggestions

In his first O column, Dr. Mehmet Oz analyzes the different treatments for fibromyalgia, a presumptive condition for veterans of the 1991 Gulf War.

Written by Mehmet Oz, M.D., O, The Oprah Magazine columnist

(O, The Oprah Magazine - August 13, 2009) - Defining Fibromyalgia: Though classified as a disorder of the musculoskeletal system, the condition is now seen as a central nervous system problem. Symptoms include increased sensitivity to pain, achy and stiff joints, fatigue, and specific tender points on the back, chest, arms, and legs. Migraines, sleep disorders, and irritable bowel syndrome are also common complaints. Up to 3 percent of the population may suffer from fibromyalgia, but with no clear cause, the condition is difficult to diagnose.

Western Medicine Approach: A formal diagnosis for fibromyalgia didn't exist until 1990, but now there are three FDA-approved meds to combat the pain. Still, says Nancy Klimas, MD, director of the Allergy and Immunology Clinic at the University of Miami, "there is much more to treatment than a pill." Strategies are needed to improve sleep, stretch and restore symmetry to muscles that have been shortened by spasm, and raise overall conditioning through exercise.

Energy-Based Approach: Practitioners believe the root of fibromyalgia is a disturbance in nerves that blocks energy. The disturbance, says Devi S. Nambudripad, MD, PhD, and a licensed acupuncturist, is caused by sensitivities to substances ranging from pollen to vaccines to chemical agents in fabrics. Anxiety and depression may also play a part. Practitioners use acupuncture to release energy and allergy testing to identify problem substances.

Psychological Approach: "The pain of fibromyalgia is not caused by depression," says Leonard Jason, PhD, professor of psychology at DePaul University, "but depression can deepen a patient's experience of pain." Mental health professionals may play a complementary role in treatment, but it's a vital one. Cognitive behavioral therapy can relieve depression and help patients identify sources of stress that magnify their symptoms.

Nutrition-Based Approach: Fibromyalgia is a systemwide breakdown, says Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, medical director of the nationwide Fibromyalgia & Fatigue Centers. After suffering from the disease in the 1970s, he developed his own protocol; in studies, patients improved by as much as 91 percent. He recommends supplements to help sufferers sleep, balance hormones, boost immunity, and improve nutrition. He also prescribes regular exercise. (Try Dr. Oz's 20-minute workout plan)

My Recommendation: Because Western medicine was slow to accept fibromyalgia, it is behind in its work; this is an area where patients will want to take a serious look at alternative approaches. Energy-based medicine could offer some important advances in treatment over the next decade, but since it has yet to be tested by independent research, I think it's premature to base your therapy solely on this approach. I'm more impressed by Teitelbaum's supplement regimen, and not only because he has tested his theories: I've put patients on this program with very good results. I would add counseling, as it should always be a part of fibromyalgia treatment. If after a couple of months you don't see improvement, talk to your doctor about drug therapy.

Focus on Fibromyalgia: Online Survey of Men with Fibromyalgia Needs Participants

Written by Anthony Hardie, 91outcomes

(91outcomes.blogspot.com - August 15, 2009) - The Men’s Health Network, a national nonprofit that provides educational materials and advocacy opportunities related to men’s health, has posted a Men and Fibromyalgia Survey on its website.

Fibromyalgia is a condition that in the United States affects primarily women, with studies suggesting about 80 to 90 percent of people with fibromyalgia being women. However, fibromyalgia is a common diagnosis for the chronic widespread pain affecting ill Gulf War veterans, including thousands of male veterans of the war. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (GWVIS reports), 93 percent of the approximately 697,000 veterans of the 1991 Gulf War are male, and seven percent are female.

If you are male and have fibromyalgia (regardless of veteran status), please consider participating in the survey to help increase understanding about the disease and how people suffering from it are treated. The one-page online survey only takes about two to three minutes to complete.

Men's Health Network (MHN) is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to reach men and their families where they live, work, play, and pray with health prevention messages and tools, screening programs, educational materials, advocacy opportunities, and patient navigation.

Focus on Fibromyalgia: New Book Provides Missing Pieces of Fibromylagia Puzzle

The Missing Pieces of the Fibromyalgia Puzzle SHATTERS the fallacy of pain from nowhere. ANSWERS the how & why of fibromyalgia. WRITTEN by a rheumatologist. PROVIDES innovative effective tools & strategies in a self-managed wellness recovery program. (PRLog (Press Release) – Aug 13, 2009) – The Missing Pieces of the Fibromyalgia Puzzle is “perhaps the most sensible book on fibromyalgia ever written,” according to Frederick Wolfe, M.D., Master, American College of Rheumatology and lead author of The American College of Rheumatology 1990 Criteria for the Classification of Fibromyalgia. This is the book that changes everything for patients, healthcare providers, and everyone with an interest in truly understanding the cause of fibromyalgia and chronic widespread pain. In The Missing Pieces of the Fibromyalgia Puzzle, author Jeff Sarkozi, M.D., F.R.C.P.C., F.A.C.R. provides the revolutionary insight and understanding that redefines the landscape of fibromyalgia knowledge, diagnosis, and treatment by exposing the fallacy of pain from nowhere, revealing the failure of the fibromyalgia diagnosis, elucidating the true cause of fibromyalgia pain, and offering real treatment for what’s really going on. The Missing Pieces of the Fibromyalgia Puzzle is the most ground-breaking and transformational book ever written on fibromyalgia and chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain. It does what no other book or publication has ever been capable of doing. Through original, cutting edge clinical research results and evidence-based This compelling, scholarly, yet immensely accessible new knowledge demystifies fibromyalgia and chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain and makes everything that is unknown about the relationships between pain, tenderness, disability, sleep, weight related issues, psychological and psychosocial disturbances, and sexual difficulties clear and understandable. Written for patients and healthcare providers, The Missing Pieces of the Fibromyalgia Puzzle will transform the lives of individuals afflicted with fibromyalgia and chronic widespread pain. Its enlightening blend of traditional and complementary therapies guides and empowers patients and their healthcare providers with the most unique, integrated, and thoroughly effective self-managed wellness recovery program ever published. It provides the substrate of truly justified hope and faith in the ability of individuals to transcend the suffering of fibromyalgia to make positive changes in their health and overall well-being. Jeff Sarkozi, M.D., F.R.C.P.C., F.A.C.R., is a rheumatologist expert specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of fibromyalgia and chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain for thousands of patients over more than two decades. Dr. Sarkozi has researched, developed, and patented numerous unique orthotic devices and created original, innovative treatment programs to relieve symptoms and improve function in patients with fibromyalgia, chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain, and other arthritic conditions. He currently directs the Fibromyalgia Polypain Arthritis Center in Orange County, California. Ordering Information: analysis, it actually identifies the cause of pain in fibromyalgia, the mechanism by which it evolves, how it is modulated, and how to effectively treat it. Web Store: http://www.missingpiecesfibromyalgia.com. Telephone: 714-973-0106. Fax: 714-973-0129. Mail: Sagecoast Publishing, 801 North Tustin Avenue, Suite 503, Santa Ana, California, 92705. Softcover ISBN: 978-0-9819223-3-1, $29.95. To contact Jeff Sarkozi, M.D., F.R.C.P.C., F.A.C.R. for interviews, speaking, or lectures use contact information accompanying this press release or visit http://www.fmpolypain.com.

18 years later, First Gulf War casualty laid to rest

Written by Ron Word, Associated Press

(JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Friday, August 14, 2009) — Navy pilot Scott Speicher, the long-missing first casualty of the first Gulf War, was finally laid to rest Friday in his adopted hometown as thousands of people lined the streets to watch a funeral procession pass his school, church and former military base.

Speicher was shot down in 1991 on the first night of the Gulf War. For more than 18 years, no one knew if he was killed or being held prisoner in Iraq until his remains were discovered in the desert, west of Baghdad, earlier this month.

"Eighteen years, six months and 11 days, that needs to be a record that is never broken," said Buddy Harris, a former Navy pilot and friend who accompanied Speicher's body home to Jacksonville from Dover, Del. Harris married Speicher's widow, Joanne, and helped raise Speicher's son and daughter, plus two more children with Joanne.

Motorcycles, their red and blue lights flashing, led Speicher's hearse and family following in a limousine along a 30-mile route of sites special to Speicher.

The widow of Captain Scott Speicher, places flowers on his coffin after it was unloaded from a charter jet at NAS Jacksonville Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009 in Jacksonville, Fla. The remains of Navy pilot Michael Scott Speicher returned to his Florida home on Thursday, 18 years after his FA-18 Hornet was shot down on the first night of the 1991 Gulf War. (AP Photo/The Florida Times-Union, Bob Self)

At a monument for war veterans where Speicher's name was engraved in 1995, military officials, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and the Jacksonville mayor talked about his military service. Dozens of roses were placed against the wall, where an eternal flame burns. Later, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office fired a 21-gun salute.

The motorcade traveled to Lake Shore United Methodist Church, where Speicher taught Sunday School. It rolled past Nathan B. Forrest High School, where he excelled at swimming and tennis.

Hundreds of people, including veterans and infants, gathered at each of the locations, including the site of the former Cecil Field Naval Air Station where Speicher's squadron, the Sunliners, was based before he left on the USS Saratoga for the Gulf War.

Shelly Bradley's husband was on the USS Saratoga when Speicher was shot down.

"It is nice to know he is home. It's not exactly what we had hoped, but maybe it will bring some closure to his family," said Bradley, of St. Augustine.

Chief Warrant Officer Brian Farrell, an instructor pilot with the Florida National Guard, dressed in his Army uniform to pay his respects.

"I'm here to recognize the sacrifice this young Navy officer gave to this country and the pain his family has endured for the last 18 years," Farrell said. "I just got back from Iraq four months ago and I just wanted my family to be a part of it."

Speicher, a Kansas City-area native who moved to Florida as a teenager, was buried in a private ceremony at Jacksonville Memory Gardens. Four Navy planes flew over the cemetery in the missing man formation.

For nearly two decades after the 33-year-old Speicher disappeared over the Iraq desert, his family pushed the Defense Department to find out what had happened. On Aug. 2, the Pentagon disclosed that Marines had recovered Speicher's bones and skeletal fragments — enough for a positive identification.

Defense officials originally declared Speicher killed in action hours after his plane was shot down over west-central Iraq. Then-Defense Secretary Dick Cheney announced on television that Speicher was the first casualty of the Gulf War.

Ten years after the crash, the Navy changed Speicher's status to missing in action, citing an absence of evidence that Speicher had died. In October 2002, the Navy switched his status to "missing/captured," although it never explained why.

Over the years, critics said the Navy had not done enough, particularly right after the crash, to search for the pilot.

"We just want to honor our fallen hero, since he is from our area. We felt is was our duty to come and honor him and his family," said Deborah Hudgins, who knew some of Speicher's family members.

Obama acknowledges Gulf War illness, says fixing VA could take "years"

Written by William H. McMichael - Army Times Staff writer

(ArmyTimes.com - Friday Aug 14, 2009 11:59:23 EDT) - President Barack Obama not only wants to improve the treatment of America’s veterans, but also to reach out to homeless veterans, as well as those who have turned their backs on — or are unaware of — the benefits they’ve earned.

“What we’re trying to do is just break down the hurdles that exist between veterans and VA,” Obama told Military Times and a small group of other defense reporters in an Aug. 4 meeting in the White House Roosevelt Room.

But lowering one of those hurdles — creating what Obama called “a VA that is consumer-friendly, that is oriented not towards keeping people out but bringing people in” — will not happen quickly, he said.

“It’s fair to say that this is a multiyear project,” Obama said. “We are going to be working vigilantly. We’re going to keep on pushing. We’re going to keep on prodding to make sure that both VA and DoD understand these very human issues are dealt with in the most thoughtful and effective way as possible.”

As evidence of that effort, Obama and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki touted a boost in VA funding, an increase of 4,000 claims adjusters since January 2007, a total of 18,000 mental health providers, a national suicide hotline, technological improvements in the benefits claims process, the ongoing effort to create electronic medical records that VA and the Pentagon can easily share and a more proactive and helpful attitude at both agencies.

But while hundreds of thousands of vets seek VA care and assistance, Obama said hundreds of thousands more need help but, for a variety of reasons, haven’t sought it.

Shinseki said one thing Obama has asked him to focus on “is homeless vets — 131,000 sleeping on our streets tonight. It’s about jobs; it’s about education.”

It’s also about changing the way VA views its mission, Obama said.

“I think a lot of the reason people fall through the cracks is historically sometimes VA has sat back and waited for people to come to them,” Obama said. “And part of what [Shinseki] has been doing is to make sure that VA is reaching out to them.”

Mental health problems have been overwhelming VA, however, and caregiver demand could outstrip supply despite the recent hires. According to a 2008 Rand Corp. study, an estimated 31 percent of returning war veterans suffer from mental health issues. Only about half of those who need treatment seek it, and only a bit more than half of those who seek treatment get “minimally adequate care,” Rand concluded.

Tackling that problem calls for a multipronged approach, Obama said.

One of the best ways of reducing incidents of PTSD, he said, “is to reduce the amount of time in theater without a break.” To that end, the administration is seeking ways to increase “dwell time” between deployments, has increased the size of the Army and Marine Corps, and is ending the Army’s stop-loss program, through which soldiers’ duty can be involuntarily extended.

Obama also wants better screening of returning troops and for commanders to keep working on reducing the stigma some feel over reporting such problems.

All of this will cost money; his administration has boosted VA’s budget to the tune of $25 billion over the next five fiscal years.

While expenditures won’t solve all the problems, Obama said, “money helps,” particularly in providing enough mental health care — to include ensuring that services for female veterans are available at all VA health centers.

Another potential VA health care challenge in coming years may be the rising tide of respiratory illnesses and blood cancers resulting from exposure to smoke from open-air burn pits used for waste disposal in war zones.

Obama said he is familiar with the issue. Acknowledging the long denials of past administrations over concerns such as atomic radiation tests, Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam and Gulf War illness, he said he wants an objective assessment of the burn-pit problem — the “best science possible.”

“I don’t want us hiding the ball if there’s a real problem there,” Obama said. “I am absolutely convinced that our commanders in theater are doing everything they can to protect their men and women. The key is to understand that our scientific knowledge and our medical knowledge may evolve. And if we find out that something’s wrong, even … it might not have been anyone’s fault … nobody is served by denial or sweeping things under the rug.”

Ohio Gulf War veteran with Gulf War Syndrome elected to public office

Written by Barbara Carmen,The Columbus [Ohio] Dispatch

(Columbus, Ohio - Wednesday, August 12, 2009 8:42 PM) - Local Republicans chose a young lawyer and Gulf War veteran as the new Franklin County auditor tonight, saying he represents a new generation of party leadership.

Clarence Mingo, 37, competed in 2008 against Democrat Maryellen O'Shaughnessy for Franklin County Clerk of Court. He lost, but his party took notice of what Mingo said is a sincere desire to serve.

"For some, these offices are political prizes. For me, it is nothing but a privilege," he said. His wife, Angela, and parents watched as he was selected by unanimous vote for the appointment.

Mingo promised "dignified conduct You will have the absolute best I have to offer."

Longtime Auditor Joe Testa, who retired July 31, had endorsed Mingo after meeting with a handful of other candidates to succeed him. The county GOP got to name his successor because Testa is a Republican.

"I would be proud to hand over the keys to the Franklin County auditor's office to him," Testa wrote his fellow party members.

Testa said Mingo is both competent and electable.

Mingo said he plans no major shakeups and that the office is well-run. But he hopes to forge closer relationships with auditors in surrounding counties and to use new technology to streamline the appraisal process.

Mingo will have to defend the office in the 2010 election. William A. Anthony Jr., chairman of the Franklin County Democratic Party, said it intends to put up a strong candidate and retake the office.

"The only problem with Mingo is that he's a Republican," Anthony said.

The auditor's office sets valuations that determine property taxes, issues dog licenses and serves as a watchdog to check scales and meters in groceries and gasoline stations.

Mingo, who recovered from a near paralyzing illness caused by Gulf War Syndrome, served in the Army in Iraq and Kuwait in 1991. A father of two young daughters, he becomes the first black person to hold the auditor's office.

Bill to restore VA healthcare enrollment for Gulf War, Agent Orange veterans Passes House

Written by Anthony Hardie, 91outcomes

Source: H.Rpt. 111-223.

(91outcomes.blogspot.com - Saturday, August 8, 2009) - A bill has passed the U.S. House of Representatives that would restore the federal VA's authority to enroll Gulf War veterans in VA health care under Priority Group 6 if they don't already have a service-connected disability or are otherwise already enrolled in VA health care.

 

Section 202 of H.R. 3219, the Veterans' Insurance and Health Care Improvements Act of 2009, would provide for enhanced enrollment authority for certain Vietnam-era veterans exposed to herbicide and veterans of the Persian Gulf War.

H.R. 3219 was introduced by Representative Bob Filner of California, Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Veterans' Affairs, on July 15, 2009.

H.R. 3219 would provide for key expansions and improvements in the provision of health care. This includes eliminating copayments for veterans who are catastrophically disabled, and providing enhanced VA healthcare enrollment authority for certain Vietnam-era herbicide exposed veterans and veterans of the Persian Gulf War.

H.R. 3219 would also improve U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) insurance programs. This legislation would make permanent the two-year extension of the free Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) coverage period for totally disabled veterans following separation from active or reserve duty. In addition, H.R. 3219 would enable veterans insured under the Veterans' Group Life Insurance (VGLI) program to increase the amount of their coverage under this program. This legislation also would eliminate the reduction in the amount of accelerated death benefits for terminally-ill persons insured under the SGLI and VGLI programs.

H.R. 3219 is comprised of a number of bills introduced in the first session of the 111th Congress. These bills include H.R. 1335, to prohibit the VA from collecting certain copayments from catastrophically disabled veterans, introduced by Representative Deborah L. Halvorson (D-Ill.-11); H.R. 2379, the Veterans' Group Life Insurance Improvement Act of 2009, introduced by Representative Steve Buyer (R-Ind.); H.R. 2926, to provide without expiration health care services to certain Vietnam-era veterans exposed to herbicide and to veterans of the Persian Gulf War, introduced by Representative Glenn C. Nye (D-Virg.); and, H.R. 2968, to eliminate the required reduction in the amount of the accidental death benefit payable to certain terminally-ill veterans insured under the Servicemembers' Group life Insurance or Veterans' Group life Insurance programs, introduced by Representative Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.).

ABOUT THE GULF WAR & AGENT ORANGE PROVISIONS

Agent Orange was one of the defoliants used by the United States military in the Vietnam War. In the 1970's, some veterans became concerned about the delayed adverse health effects potentially resulting from their exposure to Agent Orange. Agent Orange contained dioxin and recent studies suggest a link between dioxin and cancer and other disorders. The VA has a list of diseases, which it presumes resulted from exposure to herbicides such as Agent Orange. However, the full impact of herbicides remains unknown and Vietnam-era veterans continue to face challenges in linking their conditions to herbicide exposure.

Similarly, veterans returning from the Gulf War faced health problems. Symptoms included persistent memory and concentration problems, chronic headaches, widespread pain, gastrointestinal problems, and other chronic abnormalities not explained by well-established diagnoses. Veterans were unable to link these conditions to their service in the Gulf War and thus, unable to establish a service connected disability rating.

On November 17, 2008, the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses released a report entitled `Gulf War Illness and the Health of Gulf War Veterans: Scientific Findings and Recommendations.' The report indicated that Gulf War Illness is real for some of the military personnel who served in the 1990-1991 Gulf War and were exposed to some potentially hazardous substances. With this report linking symptoms of Gulf War Illness to the war, veterans of the Gulf war era may now seek to establish service-connected disabilities.

In 1981, Public Law 97-72 (95 Stat. 1047) provided the VA with a special treatment authority to provide health care to Vietnam veterans who may have been exposed to herbicides, notwithstanding that there was insufficient medical evidence to conclude that their disabilities were associated with exposure to herbicides while serving in Vietnam. This authority was extended through 1996 with Public Law 104-262 (110 Stat. 3177). Similarly, Public Law 103-210 (102 Stat. 2760) provided special treatment authority to veterans who served in the Persian Gulf War in the Southwest Asia theater of operations who were exposed to toxic substances or environmental hazards. In 1997, Public Law 105-114 (111 Stat. 2277) removed the requirement that the veteran had to be exposed to toxic substances or environmental hazards and only required service in the Southwest Asia theatre of operations during the Persian Gulf War. In 1998, Public Law 105-368 (112 Stat. 3315) extended the authority through 2001 and Public Law 107-135 (115 Stat. 2446) provided for another extension through 2002.

Although this special treatment authority has lapsed, the VA has continued to treat these veterans within Priority Group 6.

H.R. 3219 would provide permanent authorization for the special treatment authority of Vietnam-era herbicide exposed veterans and Gulf War era veterans who have insufficient medical evidence to establish a service-connected disability.

H.R. 3219 passed the House on July 27, and now awaits consideration by the U.S. Senate.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Letters and emails expressing support for the Agent Orange and Gulf War provision should be addressed to:

Senator Daniel Akaka, Chair and Senator Richard Burr, Ranking Member, U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 412 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510

Rep. Bob Filner, Chair and Rep. Steve Buyer, Ranking Member, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 335 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515

Courtesy copies of the original letters or emails should be sent to the Senator and Representative who represent the state and Congressional district in which their author resides. A nationwide database providing complete contact information on local Congressional representation is available at www.house.gov/writerep.

ALS-Gulf War treatment measure passes House

Written by Anthony Hardie, 91outcomes

(91outcomes.blogspot.com – Friday, August 7, 2009) – A provision in the defense spending bill currently winding its way through Congress would provide a $2 million appropriation earmarked for an ALS therapy development institute/Gulf War illness research project.

The spending measure was inserted into the version of the federal Fiscal Year 2010 Department of Defense Appropriations Act by Representatives Harry Brown (R-S.C.-01) and Michael Capuano (D-Mass.-08), and would be in addition to $1.2 million first included for the project in the FY08 Defense spending bill.

Previous research has noted rates of ALS much higher than expected in veterans of the 1991 Gulf War, particularly those who were near Khamisiyah, Iraq, when Iraqi munitions stores were detonated. The U.S. Department of Defense notified Gulf War veterans that the detonated munitions included those containing sarin and cyclosarin nerve agents. The detonated munitions may also have included mustard gas and other chemical warfare agents known to have been among those stored by the Iraqi military at the time.

The funding would be provided to the ALS Therapy Development Institute Gulf War Research Project (ALS TDI), a non-profit entity located at 215 First Street in Cambridge, Mass. 02142

According to the request:

Retired “General Mik” Led Efforts to Create the ALS/Gulf War Center in 2007

In his opening statement before a July 2007 Congressional hearing on Gulf War illnesses, Brown introduced Charleston, South Carolina Brigadier General Thomas Mikolajcik, a former U.S. Air Force pilot with advanced ALS, stating:

“Numerous studies have shown that individuals who have served in the military have a high propensity towards being diagnosed with ALS. The work of my friend General Mik has brought to my attention the growing number of veterans contracting ALS outside of service during the first Gulf War. His story serves as a testament to the need for leadership at the Federal level towards developing a comprehensive ALS research program and a clear VA/DoD policy ensuring that all veterans with service-connected-ALS receive the attention they deserve. We must step up to the plate and lead federal research into the causes of ALS and how we can better improve treatment for this terrible disease and we must do so now.”

During the 2007 hearing, Mikolajcik expressed concern over the decentralized research effort and testified, “The government should be compelled to assume a leadership position for ALS research. Some say that a lot of ALS research has taken place. My response echoes the famous words of President Lyndon Johnson: ‘Research is good, results are better!’”

Mikolajcik proposed a congressionally directed task force to identify a lead federal agency for the research of ALS and a strategic plan to address a comprehensive, forward looking and all inclusive research program for the disease.

Brown concluded, “It is our duty to provide our Nation’s veterans with access to the best health care possible. It is necessary for a comprehensive VA/DOD policy to ensure this quality care, and the establishment of a research oversight committee may be the right direction to serve Gulf War veterans and the growing number of veterans with ALS.”

The FY10 Defense spending bill now goes to the Senate for consideration, where the full bill is expected to be addressed in September 2009. A companion version of the bill is already under consideration there.

Letters and emails expressing support or increased funding to the full $4.8 million for the ALS/Gulf War provision should be addressed to:

Rep. David Obey, Chair and Rep. Jerry Lewis, Ranking Member, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, The Capitol, H-218, Washington, D.C. 20515

Senator Daniel Inouye, Chair and Senator Thad Cochrane, Ranking Member, U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, The Capitol, S-128, Washington, D.C. 20510

Courtesy copies of the original letters or emails should be sent to the Senator and Representative who represent the state and Congressional district in which their author resides. A nationwide database providing complete contact information on local Congressional representation is available at www.house.gov/writerep.

Several studies (conducted by DOD and the VA) have concluded that veterans of the first Gulf War develop the fatal neurodegenerative disease known as ALS twice as frequently as the general population. Another study has concluded that military service is an identified risk factor for developing ALS. ALS TDI is requesting $4.8 million for continued support of its cutting edge fast track drug discovery & translational research program and to support clinical trials of effective drugs.1) Identify physiological pathways and molecules in animal models of disease progression. Compare animal gene expression (transcriptome) to that of humans by employing the largest database ever compiled of animal and ALS patient samples. 2) Operate large scale validation program, using profiling technologies, to modulate gene expression in those genes determined to be candidates for disease effect. 3) Create a comprehensive translational medicine initiative to identify biomarkers for disease staging and prognosis, and drug efficacy and patient response. (Visit the ALS TDI website). Request: $4,830,000

Caregiver Assistance and Resource Enhancement Act passes U.S. House

H.R. 3155, the Caregiver Assistance and Resource Enhancement Act, was introduced by Representative Michael H. Michaud of Maine, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, on July 9, 2009. H.R. 3155, as amended, would create a new caregiver program to help family and non-family members who provide care for disabled, ill, or injured veterans enrolled in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system.

The VA would also be required to conduct a survey on caregivers in order to better understand this population. Key components of the new caregiver program would include support services such as educational sessions, access to a comprehensive one-stop resource directory, counseling and mental health services, and respite care. In addition, this legislation would provide a monthly financial stipend, health care through the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA), and lodging and subsistence to eligible caregivers of certain veterans.

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

Today, more servicemembers are surviving the wounds of war than those injured in previous conflicts. For example, the ratio of wounded to killed averaged approximately 1.7 wounded for every fatality for the first two World Wars. In Korea and Vietnam, the ratio improved to three wounded per fatality, largely due to air medical evacuation. In Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF), improved body armor and superior battlefield medicine techniques have resulted in seven wounded per fatality. The increasing number of wounded OEF/OIF servicemembers surviving the war brings to the forefront the question of who will provide continuing care for these injured men and women once they transition to veteran status.

It is estimated that for any given year there are more than 50 million people who provide informal caregiving for a chronically ill, disabled, or aged family member or friend. These caregivers serve as the foundation of the country's long-term care system. It is estimated that about 80 percent of adults living in the community and in need of long-term care depend on a family member or a friend, thereby avoiding costly institutional nursing home care. The majority of these caregivers are women. Caregiving exacts both a financial and physical toll on these individuals. For example, women caregivers are more than twice as likely to live in poverty and are five times more likely to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) than their non-caregiver counterparts. Also, individuals serving as caregivers for a family or friend report having a chronic health condition at twice the rate of non-caregivers and those who provide 36 or more hours of weekly care are more likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety than non-caregivers.

Because the VA does not collect data on this population, the number of family members and friends who provide care for veterans is unknown. However, the July 2007 report of the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors (Dole-Shalala Commission) found that of the 1,730 injured OEF/OIF veterans surveyed, about 21 percent of active duty, 15 percent of the reserve, and 24 percent of retired or separated servicemembers had friends or family who gave up a job to be a caregiver. In order to better understand the caregiver population providing care to veterans, H.R. 3155 would require the VA to conduct a caregivers survey at least once every three years to individuals caring for veterans enrolled in the VA health care system. It would also require a report to Congress providing the findings of the survey no later than 180 days after the date on which the survey is completed. The Committee believes that this study would be an essential component in meeting the needs of caregivers in the future.

H.R. 3155 would establish a new caregiver program in order to provide coordinated support services to caregivers. Caregivers often have a poor understanding of the services they are eligible for, thereby resulting in an underutilization of caregiver support services available through the VA. H.R. 3155 would require the VA to train existing case managers to also provide information about support services and benefits available to the caregivers of such veterans. This legislation would also require the VA to provide information and conduct outreach using all mediums of communication to spread the message about caregiver support services available through the VA, including new services made available through this Act.

Although VA offers support services to caregivers of veterans, additional services are needed for those who forego their employment, education, or make other major life changes in order to care for their wounded veteran family member. The well-being of the caregiver is important as it affects the quality of care that the wounded veteran receives. Ensuring the best care for our veterans means equipping family caregivers with the right tools and support services.

H.R. 3155 would provide a range of support services to help both family and non-family caregivers of veterans of all eras. This includes educational sessions for caregivers, a one-stop caregiver resource directory, and respite care which is age-appropriate and meets the needs of the veteran. This legislation would also provide counseling and mental health services, and include peer support groups to help caregivers cope with the daily stress of caregiving.

H.R. 3155 would also provide key benefits of lodging and subsistence, a financial stipend, and health care for a select group of caregivers of certain eligible veterans who were deployed in support of OEF/OIF, are determined by the Secretary of VA to have a severe service-connected injury or illness, are unable to carry out activities of daily living (including instrumental activities), and are in need of caregiver services such that without them the veteran would require hospitalization, nursing home care, or other residential institutional care. This legislation would authorize the VA to reimburse caregivers for lodging and subsistence when they accompany certain eligible veterans on medical visits. Such caregivers must meet the definition of an attendant under the current statute. This would help to address the plight of some family caregivers who depend on the travel, meals, and lodging allowance provided by the Department of Defense (DoD), which is suddenly discontinued when the wounded warrior transitions to veteran status. This provision would be a step forward in establishing some parity and continuity in caregiver benefits provided by DoD and VA. This legislation would also provide a monthly financial stipend to primary family caregivers of certain eligible veterans through October 1, 2012. To be eligible, the caregiver may not be employed by a home health care agency to provide caregiver services to a family member veteran, or otherwise receive payment for such services. Finally, H.R. 3155 would provide health care through the CHAMPVA program through October 1, 2012, to primary family caregivers of certain eligible veterans if they are without health insurance or are not eligible for other public health insurance options.

CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS

On June 4, 2009, the Subcommittee on Health held an oversight on `Meeting the Needs of Family Caregivers of Veterans.' The following witnesses testified: Anna Frese, Caregiver, Wounded Warrior Project; Commander Rene A. Campos, U.S. Navy (Ret.), Deputy Director, Government Relations, Military Officers Association of America; Barbara Cohoon, Ph.D., RN, Government Relations Deputy Director, National Military Family Association; Jill Kagan, MPH, Chair, ARCH National Respite Coalition; Suzanne G. Mintz, President and Co-Founder, National Family Caregivers Association; Mark S. Heaney, President and Chief Executive Officer, Addus Healthcare, Inc., Home Care Aide Section Representative Officer, National Association for Home and Hospice Care; Madhulika Agarwal, M.D., MPH, Chief Patient Care Services Officer, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs accompanied by Lucille Beck, Ph.D., Chief Consultant, Rehabilitation Services, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Thomas E. Edes, MS, Director of Home and Community-Based Care, Office of Geriatrics and Extended Care, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Thomas J. Kniffen, Chief, Regulations Staff, Compensation and Pension Service, Veterans Benefits Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Edwin L. Walker, Acting Assistant Secretary for Aging, Administration on Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and, Noel Koch, Deputy Under Secretary, Office of Transition Policy and Care Coordination, U.S. Department of Defense. Adrian Atizado, Assistant National Legislative Director, Disabled American Veterans submitted a statement for the record.

On July 9, 2009, the Subcommittee on Health met in open markup session and ordered favorably forwarded to the full Committee H.R. 3155 by voice vote.

On July 15, 2009, the full Committee met in an open markup session, a quorum being present, and ordered H.R. 3155, as amended, reported favorably to the House of Representatives, by voice vote. During consideration of the bill, An amendment in the nature of a substitute by Mr. Michaud of Maine to establish a new caregiver program and to provide for a monthly stipend was agreed to by voice vote.

HOUSE CONSIDERATION

On July 27, 2009, H.R. 3155 as amended was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives by a voice vote.

The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, where it now awaits further action.


HOW YOU CAN HELP

Letters and emails expressing support for the Caregiver Assistance and Resource Enhancement Act should be addressed to:

Rep. Bob Filner, Chair and Rep. Steve Buyer, Ranking Member, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 335 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515

Senator Daniel Akaka, Chair and Senator Richard Burr, Ranking Member, U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 412 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510

Courtesy copies of the original letters or emails should be sent to the Senator and Representative who represent the state and Congressional district where you live. A nationwide database providing complete contact information on local Congressional representation is available at www.house.gov/writerep.

UK MP testifies on 'genocide', use of chemical warfare agents against Marsh Arabs following 1991 Gulf War

Iraqi use of chemical warfare agents in southern Iraq came while U.S., Coalition troops still nearby

Written by Aubrey Belford, AFP

(BAGHDAD - August 7, 2009) — A member of the British House of Lords has described witnessing "genocide" by executed dictator Saddam Hussein's regime against Iraq's Marsh Arabs in the early 1990s.

Baroness Emma Nicholson was this week the first foreigner to testify in the Baghdad trial of 42 Iraqis, including Saddam's hatchet-man "Chemical Ali" Hassan al-Majid, over the brutal crackdown that followed a Shiite uprising after the 1991 Gulf War.

The mass expulsion of locals and the draining of around 90 percent of the marshes in the country's south, which sent around 50,000 refugees into Iran, is considered by the United Nations to be one of the worst environmental disasters in history.

Nicholson told AFP late Thursday after testifying in the tightly guarded trial in the Iraqi capital that she saw first-hand the destruction of the region, including through the alleged use of chemical weapons, on a series of around 75 visits to Iraq and neighbouring Iran during the 1990s.

"The people were farmers and fishermen whose farms and fishing grounds were being destroyed," said Nicholson, head of the AMAR charity which provides assistance to Iraqi refugees and internally displaced people, including the Marsh Arabs.

"Their villages, their towns, their cities were being bombed, being shelled, being burnt, and over the next few years the Marsh Arabs were forcibly displaced," she said.

"After 1995 there was no point going in to the marshes because they were completely drained.

"I'd certainly use the word genocide (in describing the campaign) against the Marsh Arab people."

The trial, which began in June and is expected to reach a verdict by the end of the year, is the latest in a string of cases to come to trial in Iraq since the overthrow of Saddam in a 2003 US-led invasion.

Also in the dock are Saddam half-brothers former interior minister Watban Ibrahim al-Hassan and security service chief Sabawi Ibrahim.

The draining of the marshes, considered by some to be the location of the Biblical Garden of Eden, was carried out by Saddam in a bid to flush out Shiite rebels hiding out in the sprawling network of waterways.

Footage of the trial on state-run television showed Nicholson speaking through a translator and displaying pictures of the victims of the crackdown, as "Chemical Ali" Majid and others sat in the dock.

Nicholson told AFP she witnessed the result of apparent chemical weapons use by Iraqi forces, with medical workers under her direction treating "people coughing their insides out."

"Some of the chemical weapons turned people blue and they'd blown up and died.

"Others were clearly mustard gas because (the victims) talked about yellow bombs coming from the sky and no one could breathe, they were burning all over."

Nicholson however said she had no evidence of individual complicity by any member of Saddam's regime on trial before the tribunal.

"Indeed I would have wanted at the time to find people who were responsible but it was not within my capacity to do so. I would have very much wanted indeed to face them," she said.

The trial is not the first time senior Iraqi officials have been accused of using chemical weapons to crush resistance.

Majid was first sentenced to death in June 2007 for ordering the gassing of tens of thousands of Kurds in the 1998 Anfal campaign, which earned him his grim moniker.

He has received two other death sentences for crimes including war crimes and crimes against humanity during the brutal 1991 crackdown on the Shiite uprising.

Iraq's southern marshes had been home to a unique culture for centuries before Saddam's crackdown turned much of it to desert. Programmes to reflood the marshlands since the dictator's fall have seen some limited success in restoring lost habitats.

Ill Calif. Gulf War Veteran Among Entrepreneurship Boot Camp Participants

Written by Jane Wells, Correspondent / Funny Business with Jane Wells - CNBC

(CNBC - August 7, 2009) In a classroom at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, a professor is running through the calculations needed to figure out "the IRR". That's the internal rate of return. A group of 20 men and women take notes. "The cash flow I get in year one needs to be brought back by some rate of return," he tells them, scribbling on a whiteboard.

The students listening intently are not aspiring Wall Street titans. They are disabled veterans who have either started small businesses, or hope to.

They're here for a 9-day "Entrepreneurship Boot Camp", and UCLA isn't charging them a dime.

"I was injured in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan," says Army combat veteran Edward Ruvalcaba. He joined the military right out of high school and says he's witnessed "the History Channel" up close: Panama when Noriega lost power, Berlin when the wall came down, Gulf War I and II. Somewhere in the first Gulf War he contracted serious respiratory and skin problems (remember the oil field fires?) which require him to be on several medications. "I'm working through it," he says, without an ounce of self-pity.

Last year Ruvalcaba started a janitorial company called Guaranteed Cleaning Services, in Brea, California. "I've been somewhat successful," he says, adding, "this boot camp here has really shed a lot of light on some of the errors I've made." He's learned that his pricing isn't competitive. He isn't charging too much, but too little. "That's in my nature of serving my country and believing that I'm just being humble, and I'm learning here that if you're not profitable, then you shouldn't be in that type of business."

The "boot camp" for disabled vets started at Syracuse University, and has since spread to four other universities: UCLA, Purdue, Texas A&M, and Florida State. If you had to pay for this education, it would probably cost $10,000. But donations cover all expenses.

AP

"It's a battlefield out there, you need to be a good strategist," says Anderson's Al Osborne, who says at least 45,000 disabled vets have returned from war, with injuries that are not always visible.

Osborne says veterans, by experience, "understand what needs to be done now, what needs to be done later, how I can delegate, they understand how to work and build teams." Those are important tools for entrepreneurs.

They are traits which have served Amy Sufak well as she transitioned into civilian life. The 11-year Air Force veteran hurt her back traveling the world as a public affairs officer. Now she's started Red Energy PR in Colorado Springs. "I was very fortunate to start this business during a down economy," she says. Companies are letting go their in-house PR and marketing staff and contracting out to firms like her's. One downside? Some clients don't know what to make of her. "There's a whole generation behind me that has not been touched by the military at all, so that's difficult because they don't see the value in that." Still, at the boot camp, she's learning important tips, like how to increase staffing without increasing costs-bill clients for extra personnel. "It's helped us critique our business plans."

But why start a small business now? In this economy? "I'll tell you one thing, it's been my family," Edward Ruvalcaba says, suddenly choking up with emotion. "Being away from them..." As demanding as it is to run a small business, it provides more time at home than being half a world away in a foxhole.

"You and I maybe don't have the luxury of understanding of what it is to be in an arena where somebody is shooting at you," Al Osborne says, explaining one reason these vets may excel. "That gets you focused, I think, on things you need to survive. Business today is not unlike war."

Questions? Comments? Funny Stories? Email funnybusiness@cnbc.com

Veteran with Gulf War Illness airs graphic video about his condition

Written by Anthony Hardie, 91outcomes

(91outcomes.blogspot.com - Friday, August 7, 2009) -- An Indiana veteran of the 1991 Gulf War has publicly released a groundbreaking video regarding his personal experience with Gulf War Illness.

"Dale," an Indianapolis, Ind. veteran, who goes by an online name of The Alpha Dale, posted the graphic, home-shot video on the Internet on August 5. The video includes panning and close-ups of his persistent skin rashes and cut-aways to on-screen text narration providing a broader context of his experiences with Gulf War illness.

"Having Gulf War Illness, affects every aspect of my life," says Dale in the video's opening text narrative. "Until recently, I like most veterans, have been to [sic] embarrassed and shamed into feeling bad about letting others know that I am ill."



This video can also be viewed online on YouTube.