SUPPORT FOR GULF WAR VETERANS

WHEREAS, during the Persian Gulf War, according to official military reports, members of the armed forces were exposed to various toxic substances and environmental hazards; and

WHEREAS, many of these veterans, and in some cases their dependents and survivors, are now suffering from illnesses, or manifesting symptoms of illnesses that may be attributed to their service in the Persian Gulf; and

WHEREAS, many Gulf War veterans did not begin to manifest symptoms until several years after returning from the Persian Gulf theater of operation; and

WHEREAS, according to some scientific studies and reports, Gulf War veterans are reporting symptoms at a greater rate than their peers who did not deploy to the Persian Gulf; and

WHEREAS, Public Law 105-277, Persian Gulf Veterans Act of 1998 and Public Law 105-368, Veterans Programs Enhancement Act of 1998, requires the Secretary to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to review available scientific and medical evidence with the end goal to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to warrant presumption of service connection for the occurrence of a specified condition; and

WHEREAS, current available medical and scientific evidence has yet to determine the cause, effects, or latency period for the illnesses or symptoms associated with service in the Persian Gulf; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, that we continue to urge the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a temporary open-ended presumptive period until medical and scientific research can be adequately utilized to help determine an appropriate time in which conditions associated with Gulf War service will manifest; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we urge the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide health care for all active duty military and veterans and, as appropriately determined, their dependents and survivors, whose health has been adversely affected by the Persian Gulf War, and to conduct all necessary tests to determine the causes of these illnesses; and

Submitted by Commander-in-Chief

To Committee on VETERANS SERVICE RESOLUTIONS

Resolution No. 625 - page 2 - continued

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we urge Congress to adequately fund appropriate medical and scientific research, and the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, and Veterans Affairs to implement all relevant laws that support all research efforts.