Gulf War Illness is a term used to refer to an assortment of unexplained or ill-defined symptoms suffered by Veterans who served in the Gulf War theatre of operations from 1990 to 1991, affecting an estimated 175,000 to 250,000 Veterans. Even now, over 30 years after the Gulf War, Gulf War Illness is still poorly understood. In order to correct this, the VA is working with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct a five year study in order to develop better diagnostic criteria, testing, and treatments.
The VA has already established the Gulf War Registry Health Exam for Veterans who served in the Southwest Asia theater of military operations at any time August 2, 1990 to present. The VA has also created the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry. Both the Gulf War Registry Health Exam and the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry have been used to gather information on Veterans in order to better understand Gulf War Illness. However, the five year study by the VA and NIH study will involve regular and extensive testing over a five year period with the intention of examining how the body is affected by Gulf War Illness. This will provide detailed information not previously available to the VA and lead to a much deeper understanding of Gulf War Illness, its onset, and long term implications for Veterans.
Symptoms such as fatigue, muscle and joint pain, loss of concentration, forgetfulness, headache, respiratory complaints, rashes, sleep disturbances, and gastrointestinal distress have already been linked to Gulf War Illness. The VA has also granted Gulf War Veterans presumptive service-connection for certain medical conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, gastrointestinal disorders, and other undiagnosed illnesses. The recently passed PACT Act of 2022 further expanded the list of presumptive conditions. More information on Gulf War Illness can be found at here and further information on the PACT Act of 2022 can be found here.
If you have any questions about whether you are entitled to VA compensation as a result of Gulf War service, the qualified Veterans’ Disability attorneys at Gardberg and Kemmerly want to help in any way possible. Gardberg and Kemmerly is committed to helping injured and disabled Veterans obtain the benefits they deserve. If you need help with a disability claim, call our office at 251-343-1111 or 1-800-332-1529 for a free consultation. Gardberg and Kemmerly is proud to serve Veterans across the country from our home office in Mobile, Alabama. We would love an opportunity to discuss your claim.