Sen. Kit Bond (R-Missouri) has sent a letter to the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), urging the departments to do a better job of notifying and caring for Gulf War veterans who may have been exposed to dangerous sarin nerve gas in 1991.
Two new Defense and VA funded research studies show a "significant association" between Gulf War illnesses and nerve agent exposure in Khamisiyah, Iraq in 1991, when an Iraqi arms depot was destroyed. Over 100,000 U.S. troops were exposed to the toxic agents and since that time, troops who served in the Gulf War have reported various health problems, including chronic fatigue, memory problems and various neurological disorders, according to a Bond release.
Bond and other Senators are looking for increased research, better outreach, and more effective treatments for the thousands of ill Gulf War veterans. Bond said he was "stunned by statements by the Pentagon that they have not yet decided whether to inform veterans about the possibility of a link between exposure and brain damage."
Bond and his colleagues also expressed concern about the agencies' ability to treat and track these Gulf War veterans at a time when they are already overwhelmed by providing care for Iraq and Afghanistan vets.
As of today, the Senators have not received a response from either department.
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