Statistical studies suggest that Gulf War veterans are not getting sick with any greater frequency than soldiers who did not see Gulf service. Last October, a report by the National Academy of Sciences scolded both the Department of Defense and the VA for laxity in their Gulf War health studies. This situation is outrageous. Desert Storm veterans are aware, of course, of the government's lengthy reluctance to acknowledge the link between the Agent Orange defoliant and health problems among Vietnam vets. Many Gulf veterans contend that military authorities want their maladies kept under wraps in order to avoid paying astronomical health and benefit bills.
Science is on their side.
A study by the Centers for Disease Control concluded that Gulf War soldiers were up to 12 times more likely than other vets to suffer the kind of chronic symptoms commonly called Gulf War Syndrome. So, the battle between the Pentagon and some Gulf veterans continues. Miles away, curious GIs stood atop vehicles watching the spectacle. Since the Iraqis generally did not mark their chemical shells and rockets, there was no easy way for the Americans to know what they were destroying. According to some reports, nerve gas alarms in the area went off immediately.