All three VA medical centers in Iowa have Persian Gulf programs. However, concern arose that there is a tendency at the VA to diagnose post traumatic stress disorder as the cause of these veterans' complaints. What's more, after denying the possibility for five years, the Department of Defense has changed its story regarding the likely exposure of U.S. troops to chemical or biological warfare agents in Iraq. Although recent studies have not yet proven a link between their Gulf service and health problems, they have not disproven a connection.
Gulf War veterans and their families deserve a full and thorough commitment to get answers.
Considering the Pentagon's tardy acknowledgment that thousands of vets were exposed to biological and chemical warfare agents, I believe extensive studies should continue outside of the Pentagon. I believe other government agencies, like the Centers for Disease Control and the VA, should continue thorough medical studies to try and get to the bottom of this issue. Once again, it seems the Pentagon's track record failed the men and women who put their lives on the line. Congress will continue to hold hearings until we fully understand the extent of this exposure and any connection to conditions in the Persian Gulf.