GAO: Pentagon Gulf War Illness Data Wrong

[Snazzy]

GAO: Pentagon Gulf War Illness Data Wrong

Jun 1, 11:35 PM (ET)

By SUZANNE GAMBOA

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Defense Department and the CIA used flawed computer modeling to determine which and how many troops were exposed to chemical warfare agents during the first Gulf War, the General Accounting Office said Tuesday.

The Pentagon stood by its work, although it acknowledged some shortcomings in the computer modeling. It also agreed to stop performing computer models on the toxic plumes that occurred after some bombings during the war.

The Defense Department refused to accept a GAO recommendation to stop using the computer modeling data for studies on Gulf War illness. The investigators said the flawed computer modeling led to unreliable conclusions in Defense Department and Veterans Affairs studies that there is no association between chemical weapons exposure and rates of hospitalization and death of Gulf War veterans.

...

The GAO said that since the end of 1991 about 700,000 U.S. veterans have experienced undiagnosed illnesses. The Defense Department estimates that 101,752 service members were potentially exposed to chemical warfare agents.

....

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040602/D82UKLQ00.html

[struggle4progress]

1. This is nothing new. The atomic vets got screwed the same way.

[mike_c]

3. nothing to worry about-- sunshine is radiation...!

In fact, scientists can measure radiation in "sunshine units." Now let's look at how progress will lead to whiter whites and brighter colors in the laundry room of the future!

[struggle4progress]

6. Golly, thanks, Mr. Wizard! Now I see ...

that I have nothing to worry about, because * and his corporate buddies are all on my side, provided I keep my little head down and my big mouth shut! :)

[mike_c]

7. see, it's an easy program to get with....

Even if only after a brief, fun stay at a re-education camp. Hey-- why not pack up your most valuable belongings for safe keeping and report to a transport center today! But don't forget your daily shopping quota first. Remember: citizenship is free, but model consumers EARN their nation's gratitude!

[Eloriel]

14. so white and bright they'll glow perhaps? n/t

[seemslikeadream]

2. Medical Readiness and Tracking Act of 2004''

05/23/2004

http://

NGWRC worked with the staff of Senator Clinton and provided input on this bill. This bill is an effort to correct the loopholes used by the Department of Defense in PL 105-85 section 762-767. Our advocacy is having an impact. For a complete text, go to: http://thomas.loc.gov/ and enter "Medical Readiness and Tracking" as the search term for Bills in the 108th Congress. A partial text of the bill is below:

SA 3163. Mrs. CLINTON submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill S. 2400, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2005 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe personnel strengths for such fiscal year for the Armed Services, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:


On page 296, between lines 14 and 15, insert the following:



TITLE XIII--MEDICAL READINESS AND TRACKING
SEC. 1300. SHORT TITLE.

This title may be cited as the ``Medical Readiness and Tracking Act of 2004''.



Subtitle A--Reserve Component Personnel
SEC. 1301. STUDY OF HEALTH OF RESERVES ORDERED TO ACTIVE DUTY FOR OPERATIONS ENDURING FREEDOM AND IRAQI FREEDOM.

(a) REQUIREMENT FOR GAO STUDY.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall carry out a study of the health of the members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces who have been called or ordered to active duty for a period of more than 30 days in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Comptroller General shall commence the study not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(b) PURPOSES.--The purposes of the study under this section are as follows:

(1) To review the health status and medical fitness of the activated Reserves when they were called or ordered to active duty.

(2) To review the effects, if any, on logistics planning and the deployment schedules for the operations referred to in subsection (a) that resulted from deficiencies in the health or medical fitness of activated Reserves.

(3) To review compliance of the responsible Department of Defense personnel with Department of Defense policies on routine medical and physical fitness examinations that are applicable to the reserve components of the Armed Forces.

(4) To review in the case of activated Reserves deployed to the theater of an operation referred to in subsection (a), the medical care that was provided to such personnel in the theater during the first six months after arrival in the theater.

(c) REPORT.--The Comptroller General shall, not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, submit a report on the results of the study under this section to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The report shall include the following matters:

(1) With respect to the matters reviewed under paragraph (1) of subsection (b)--

(A) the percentage of activated Reserves who were determined to be medically unfit for deployment, together with an analysis of the medical illnesses or conditions most commonly found among the activated Reserves that were grounds for determinations of medical unfitness for deployment; and

(B) the percentage of the activated Reserves who, before being deployed, needed medical care for health conditions identified when called or ordered to active duty, together with an analysis of the types of care that were provided for such conditions.

(2) With respect to the matters reviewed under paragraph (2) of subsection (b)--

(A) the delays and other disruptions in deployment schedules that resulted from deficiencies in the health status or medical fitness of activated Reserves; and

(B) an analysis of the extent to which it was necessary to merge units or otherwise alter the composition of units, and the extent to which it was necessary to merge or otherwise alter objectives, in order to compensate for limitations on the deployability of activated Reserves resulting from deficiencies in the health status or medical fitness of activated Reserves.

(3) With respect to the matters reviewed under paragraph (3) of subsection (b), an assessment of the extent of the compliance of the responsible Department of Defense personnel with Department of Defense policies on routine medical and physical fitness examinations that are applicable to the reserve components of the Armed Forces.

(4) With respect to the matters reviewed under paragraph (4) of subsection (b), an analysis of the extent to which the medical care provided to activated Reserves in each theater of operations referred to in subsection (a) related to preexisting conditions that were not adequately addressed before the deployment of such personnel to the theater.

(d) DEFINITIONS.--In this section:

(1) The term ``activated Reserves'' means the members of the Armed Forces referred to in subsection (a).

(2) The term ``active duty for a period of more than 30 days'' has the meaning given such term in section 101(d) of title 10, United States Code.

(3) The term ``health condition'' includes a dental condition.

(4) The term ``reserve components of the Armed Forces'' means the reserve components listed in section 10101 of title 10, United States Code.

SEC. 1302. PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS.

(a) REQUIREMENT.--Section 10206(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking ``shall--'' and all that follows and inserting ``shall be examined as to his physical fitness every 30 months, or more often as the Secretary concerned considers necessary.''.

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.--This section and the amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect on October 1, 2004.

SEC. 1303. RETRAINING OR SEPARATION OF MEDICALLY UNFIT MEMBERS.

(a) REQUIREMENT.--Chapter 1007 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 10206 the following new section:``§10206a. Required actions for members not medically fit

``(a) IN GENERAL.--The Secretary of a military department shall take action under subsection (b) in the case of each member of a reserve component under the Secretary's jurisdiction who--

``(1) as a result of an examination under section 10206 of this title or any other physical or medical examination performed under regulations prescribed by the Secretary, is determined not medically qualified for the performance of the duties of such member's position; and

``(2) either--

``(A) as of the date that is 180 days after the date of that determination, is not making progress to become medically qualified in accordance with a plan approved under regulations prescribed by the Secretary; or

``(B) does not become medically qualified for the position within the period covered by such a plan.

``(b) REQUIRED ACTIONS.--A member of a reserve component described in subsection (a)--

``(1) shall be reassigned to a position in such reserve component for which the member is medically and otherwise qualified; or

``(2) if there is no position in such reserve component for which the member is medically and otherwise qualified, shall be separated from such reserve component.''.

(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.--The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 10206 the following new item:


``10206a. Required actions for members not medically fit.''.

SEC. 1304. POLICY ON DEFERRAL OF MEDICAL TREATMENT PENDING DEPLOYMENT TO THEATERS OF OPERATION.

(a) REQUIREMENT FOR POLICY.--(1) Chapter 1007 of title 10, United States Code, as amended by section 1303, is further amended by inserting after section 10206a the following new section:``§10206b. Members ordered to active duty: treatment of medical conditions

``(a) POLICY REQUIRED.--The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe a policy that specifies for members of the reserve components


called or ordered to active duty for a period of more than 30 days under a provision of law referred to in section 101(a)(13)(B) of this title--

(1) the circumstances under which treatment for medical conditions may be deferred to be provided within a theater of operations in order to prevent delay or other disruption of a deployment to that theater; and

(2) the circumstances under which medical conditions are to be treated before deployment to that theater.

``(b) FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED.--The policy under subsection (a) shall specify the factors to be considered in a determination of deferral or initiation of treatment of a medical condition of a member to be deployed to a theater of operations, including the following factors:

``(1) Severity of the condition, including the extent of risk of significant aggravation of the condition if treatment is delayed or inadequate.

``(2) Medical treatment capabilities available to the member for such condition in the theater of operations.

``(3) The cost of treatment of the condition in such theater as compared to the cost of treatment of the condition under chapter 55 of this title at or in the vicinity of the facility or installation from which the member is to be deployed.''.

(2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter, as amended by section 1303(b), is further amended by inserting after the item relating to section 10206a the following new item:


``10206b. Members ordered to active duty: treatment of medical conditions.''.


(b) TIME FOR ISSUANCE OF POLICY.--The Secretary of Defense shall issue the policy required by section 10206b of title 10, United States Code (as added by subsection (a)), not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.



Subtitle B--All Armed Forces Personnel


PART I--HEALTH SCREENING

SEC. 1311. RECRUIT ASSESSMENT PROGRAM.

(a) BASELINE HEALTH DATA.--(1) Chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1092 the following new section:``§1092a. Persons entering the armed forces: baseline health data

``(a) PROGRAM REQUIRED.--The Secretary of Defense shall, for the purposes set forth in subsection (b), carry out a program for--

``(1) the routine collection of baseline health data from all persons entering the armed forces;

``(2) computerized compilation and maintenance of the baseline health data; and

``(3) analysis of the data.

``(b) PURPOSES.--The program under this section shall be designed to achieve the following purposes:

``(1) To facilitate understanding of how exposures related to service in the armed forces affect health.

``(2) To facilitate development of early intervention and prevention programs to protect health and readiness.

``(c) BASELINE HEALTH DATA DEFINED.--In this section, the term `baseline health data', with respect to a person entering any of the armed forces, means comprehensive information on the health of that person upon entry.

``(d) APPLICABILITY TO COAST GUARD.--(1) The program under this section shall apply to members of the Coast Guard to the extent approved by the Secretary of Homeland Security.

``(2) Nothing in paragraph (1) shall be construed to limit the application of the program under this section to a member of the Coast Guard in that member's capacity as a person entering a reserve component of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps.''.

(2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1092 the following new item:


``1092a. Persons entering the armed forces: baseline health data.''.


(b) TIME FOR IMPLEMENTATION.--The Secretary of Defense shall implement the program required under section 1092a of title 10, United States Code (as added by paragraph (1)), not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 1312. FURTHER REFINEMENT OF MEDICAL TRACKING SYSTEM FOR MEMBERS DEPLOYED OVERSEAS.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF ADVISORY WORKING GROUP.--(1) Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall convene a working group to improve the medical tracking system for members deployed overseas established under section 1074f of title 10, United States Code.

(2) The working group under paragraph (1) shall be composed of any number of members, not less than 12 and not more than 20, that the Secretary of Defense determines appropriate for the working group to carry out its duties effectively, including members appointed by the Secretary as follows:

(A) One or more representatives of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.

(B) One or more representatives of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, with the consent of the Secretary.

(C) One or more civilian health professionals who have expertise in public health and epidemiology.

(D) Three or more civilian health professionals who have been involved in military health research or treatment.

(E) Three or more civilian health professionals who have been involved in environmental health research or treatment.

(F) Three or more civilians who are representative of veterans and military health advocacy organizations.

(3) The working group shall--

(A) analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the medical tracking system administered under section 1074f of title 10, United States Code, as a means for detecting--

(i) any health problems (including mental health conditions) of members of the Armed Forces contemporaneous with the performance of the assessment under the system; and

(ii) exposures of the assessed members to environmental hazards that potentially lead to future health problems;

(B) analyze the strengths and weaknesses of such medical tracking system as a means for supporting future research on health issues presenting in the years following the deployment of the members of the Armed Forces assessed under the system; and

(C) identify and develop recommended changes to such medical tracking system that strengthen the system as a means for--

(i) detecting health problems and exposures to environmental hazards as described in subparagraph (A); and

(ii) supporting future research as described in subparagraph (B).

(4) Not later than 180 days after convening, the working group shall submit to the Secretary a report setting forth the analyses and recommendations of the working group.

(b) ACTIONS BY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE.--Not later than 180 days after receipt of the report under subsection (a)(4), the Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations to implement the recommendations of the working group to the extent that the Secretary considers appropriate. The regulations shall include policies and standards for drawing blood samples for effective assessment and tracking of the medical conditions of personnel before deployment, upon the end of a deployment, and for a follow-up period of appropriate length.

(c) INTERIM STANDARDS FOR BLOOD SAMPLING.--(1) The Secretary of Defense shall require that, under the medical tracking system administered under section 1074f of title 10, United States Code--

(A) the blood samples necessary for the predeployment medical examination of a member of the Armed Forces required under subsection (b) of such section be drawn not earlier than 30 days before the date of the deployment;

(B) the blood samples necessary for the postdeployment medical examination of a member of the Armed Forces required under such subsection be drawn not later than 30 days after the date on which the deployment ends; and

(C) annually, for the first three years after the deployment of a member ends, blood samples be drawn from that person for the purpose of assessing the medical condition of such person under such system.

(2) In the case of a person who is no longer a member of the Armed Forces when a blood sample is to be drawn from such person under paragraph (1)(C), the blood may be drawn at any medical facility of the uniformed services designated by the Secretary of Defense. The Secretary shall attempt to accommodate the convenience of that person in selecting a facility for the drawing of that person's blood sample.

(3) The requirements of paragraph (1) shall cease to be effective on the date on which the regulations prescribed under subsection (b) take effect.



PART II--MEDICAL CARE IN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

SEC. 1315. MEDICAL SERVICES PROVIDED IN ALLIED HEALTH FACILITIES.

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs shall submit to the Secretary of Defense and the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the extent and types of medical services that were provided to members of the Armed Forces in facilities of allies of the United States during previous and current deployments of the Armed Forces, including Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Joint Endeavor, Joint Forge, Joint Guardian, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom.

SEC. 1316. DEVELOPMENT OF POLICY ON PERSONNEL LOCATION DATA.

(a) REQUIREMENT FOR POLICY.--The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe a Department of Defense policy on the collection and dissemination of in-theater individual personnel location data for the following purposes:

(1) To facilitate health care research and informed health care policy making for the Armed Forces.

(2) To enhance the capabilities of the Armed Forces to recognize and meet the health care needs of members of the Armed Forces returning to home stations from deployment to a theater of operations.

(b) ADVISORY WORKING GROUP.--(1) The Secretary shall establish a working group to advise the Secretary on the development of the policy under subsection (a). The working group shall include the following:

(A) One or more representatives of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.

(B) One or more representatives of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, with the consent of the Secretary.


(C) One or more representatives of the program manager for the Global Combat Support System.

(D) One or more representatives of the defense manpower data center.

(E) One or more representatives of the program manager for the Land Warrior System.

(F) One or more civilian health professionals who have been involved in research and treatment of Gulf War Syndrome.

(G) One or more representatives of the Joint Staff.

(2) In developing the policy recommendations, the working group shall take into consideration--

(A) traditional medical requirements for complete and open access to specific, individual personnel location data to provide for--

(i) adequate and independent peer review by all interested parties; and

(ii) an open and transparent process for setting scientifically rigorous health policy and formulating clinical guidelines for care;

(B) traditional operational requirements for securing personnel location data so as to prevent--

(i) compromise of mission objectives; or

(ii) unauthorized disclosure of tactical and logistical planning; and

(C) existing practical limitations on the collection of such data, together with solutions for eliminating such limitations.

SEC. 1317. REPORT ON TRAINING OF FIELD MEDICAL PERSONNEL.

(a) REQUIREMENT FOR REPORT.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the training on environmental hazards that is provided by the Armed Forces to medical personnel of the Armed Forces who are deployable to the field in direct support of combat personnel.

(b) CONTENT.--The report under subsection (a) shall include the following:

(1) An assessment of the adequacy of the training regarding--

(A) the identification of--

(i) common environmental hazards; and

(ii) exposures to such hazards; and

(B) the prevention and treatment of adverse health effects of such exposures.

(2) A discussion of the actions taken and to be taken to improve such training.



PART III--MEDICAL CARE AFTER RETURN FROM DEPLOYMENT

SEC. 1321. FINDINGS.

Congress makes the following findings:

(1) One out of every nine members of the Armed Forces returning to home station from a deployment overseas listed on the member's post-deployment self-reported health assessment under the Health Evaluation Assessment Review program of the United States Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine a concern about possibly having been exposed to environmental hazards deleterious to the member's health during the deployment, according to an article in the edition of the Medical Surveillance Monthly Report published for July and August 2003 by the Army Medical Surveillance Activity of the Directorate of Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance of the United States Army Center for Health Promotion and Prevention of Disease.

(2) This constitutes a high proportion of members who might have suffered exposure to environmental hazards that potentially lead to immediate or future health problems.

SEC. 1322. REPORT ON RESPONSES TO HEALTH CONCERNS OF MEMBERS.

(a) REQUIREMENT FOR REPORT.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs shall submit to the Secretary of Defense and the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on Department of Defense responses to expressions of concerns made as described in section 221(1).

(b) CONTENT.--The report regarding health concerns submitted under subsection (a) shall include the following:

(1) A discussion of the actions taken by Department of Defense officials to investigate the circumstances underlying such concerns in order to determine the validity of the concerns.

(2) A discussion of the actions taken by Department of Defense officials to evaluate or treat members and former members of the Armed Forces who are confirmed to have been exposed to environmental hazards deleterious to their health during deployments of the Armed Forces.

SEC. 1323. RESPONSIBILITIES OF INSTALLATION COMMANDERS.

(a) PREPARATIONS TO MEET HEALTH CARE NEEDS.--Chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1074k the following new section:``§1074l. Care of members redeploying from overseas deployment

``(a) NEEDS ASSESSMENT.--The Secretary of Defense shall require the commander of each military installation at which members of the armed forces are to be processed upon redeployment from an overseas deployment--

``(1) to identify and analyze the anticipated health care needs of such members before the arrival of such members at that installation; and

``(2) to report such needs to the Secretary.

``(b) DATA SOURCES.--To carry out the duties imposed under subsection (a), the commander of an installation shall obtain the necessary information from the sources available to the commander, including the following information:

``(1) Information on schedules and locations from transportation and logistics personnel.

``(2) Information on disease and nonbattle injuries from the Surgeon General of the armed force concerned.

``(3) Information collected from environmental surveillance of the theater of military operations from which members are redeploying.

``(4) Information on the prevalence of combat and noncombat injuries, to the extent relevant.

``(c) HEALTH CARE TO MEET NEEDS.--The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe in regulations procedures for the commander of each military installation described in subsection (a) to meet the anticipated health care needs that are identified by the commander in the performance of duties under this section. The procedures shall include the following:

``(1) Arrangements for health care provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

``(2) Procurement of services from local health care providers.

``(3) Temporary employment of health care personnel to provide services at such installation.''.

(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.--The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1074k the following new item:


``1074l. Care of members redeploying from overseas deployment.''.



Subtitle C--Policy Compliance Assurance
SEC. 1331. SERUM REPOSITORY AUDITS.

(a) REQUIREMENT FOR BIENNIAL AUDIT.--(1) Chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1073a the following new section:``§1073b. Serum repository audits

``(a) PERIODIC AUDITS.--The Secretary of Defense shall require the director of the serum repository of the Department of Defense to audit at least twice every two years the records of blood samples stored in such repository to determine the percentage of members of the armed forces who are in compliance with the applicable Department of Defense and military department policies on the collection of blood samples from members of the armed forces. The Secretary may impose any higher minimum number of periodic audits under this section that the Secretary considers appropriate.

``(b) REPORT.--(1) Upon completion of an audit under subsection (a), the director of the serum repository shall submit a report on the audit to the Secretary of Defense. The report shall include the following information:

``(A) The compliance percentage determined under such subsection.

``(B) A discussion of the most common compliance problems identified.

``(C) Any recommendations for actions to improve compliance.

``(2) The Secretary shall transmit the report received under paragraph (1) to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Secretary may include any comments and recommendations that the Secretary considers appropriate.''.

(2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1073a the following new item:


``1073b. Serum repository audits.''.


(b) INITIAL AUDIT.--The first audit under section 1073b of title 10, United States Code (as added by subsection (a)), shall be completed not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 1332. DEPLOYMENT-RELATED HEALTH ASSESSMENT AUDITS.

(a) REQUIREMENT FOR BIENNIAL AUDIT.--Section 1074f(d) of title 10, United States Code, is amended--

(1) by inserting ``(1)'' after ``(d) QUALITY ASSURANCE.--''; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

``(2)(A) The Secretary of Defense shall require the director of the Defense Medical Surveillance System to audit, every two years, the predeployment and postdeployment health assessment database maintained by the director in order to determine the percentage of members of the armed forces who are in compliance with the applicable Department of Defense and military department policies on the collection of predeployment and postdeployment health assessment data.

``(B) Upon completion of the biennial audit under subparagraph (A), the director of the Defense Medical Surveillance System shall submit a report on the audit to the Secretary of Defense. The report shall include the following information:

``(i) The compliance percentage determined under such audit.

``(ii) A discussion of the most common compliance problems identified.

``(
more
http://www.ngwrc.org/NewsArticle.cfm?NewsID=871

[Tellurian]

11. Good on {{{Hillary}}}! nt

[seemslikeadream]

4. Combat trauma haunts yet another generation

This time around, soldiers have been deployed longer, the fighting has been more intense and there's been a greater reliance on reservists to fight, said Dr. Dewleen Baker, medical director of the Gulf War Clinic at the VA facility on Vine Street in Corryville.

All of the country's 159 VA medical centers will screen returning veterans for post-traumatic stress disorder, Baker said. But the program only works if veterans take it upon themselves to seek help.

Of the 128,000 soldiers who have returned from Iraq, about 14 percent - or 18,000 - have sought care at VA health facilities, government officials reported at the end of March. A separate report issued in mid-April said 4,000 troops from the war in Afghanistan sought care.

The most common health issues have been musculoskeletal ailments, principally joint and back disorders, and dental problems.

Mental disorders were diagnosed in 16 percent of the Afghanistan veterans and 15 percent of the Iraqi veterans.

Locally, Baker is treating 11 veterans, including Johnson. Common symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder include flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks, anger, emotional withdrawal and depression.

more
http://www.ngwrc.org/NewsArticle.cfm?NewsID=869

Ballad of Penny Evans

My name is Penny Evans and my age is twenty-one
I'm a widow of the war that was fought in Vietnam
I have two baby daughters and I do the best I can
They say the war is over but I think it's just begun

I remember I was seventeen when first I met my Bill
At his father's grand piano we played old 'Heart and Soul'
I only knew the left hand part, he knew the right so well
He's the only boy I slept with, and the only one I will

First we had a baby girl, we had two good years
And next the warning notice came, we parted without tears
Then it's nine months from our last goodbye our second child appears
And it's ten months and a telegram confirming all our fears

So once a month I get a check from some army bureaucrat
And once a month I tear it up and mail the damn thing back
Do they think that makes it all right? Do they think I'll fall for that?
They can keep their bloody money, it won't bring my Billy back

I never cared for politics, speeches I don't understand
Likewise I'll take no charity from any living man
But tonight there's fifty thousand gone in that unhappy land
And fifty thousand 'Heart and Souls' being played with just one hand

My name is Penny Evans and my age is twenty-one
I'm a widow of the war that was fought in Vietnam
I have two baby daughters - thank God I have no son
They say the war is over but I think it's just begun

Steve Goodman

[Philostopher]

5. And they still haven't really come clean

on illnesses that might be caused by depleted uranium and the dust that comes from exploding enriched munitions. That one really pisses me off. And what of the people in the countries where we use them, who eat food and drink water that's exposed? Hell, they don't need to drop a nuke on the country -- they're nuking it one shell at a time.

[study_war_no_more]

8. bones in my bread

these clowns suck

[ConcernedCanuk]

9. " they're nuking it one shell at a time" - close - also one bullet at a ti

.
.
.

yup - their favorite wartoy, those gunships, have depleted uranium in the bullets.

every shot,(actually the ratio is one non-uranium to 5 DU bullets), leaves some depleted uranium behind, so it will kill whether it hits anyone or not - the half life is some millions of years or so - that's all.

It's friggen genocide - one bullet at a time, and will ruin the groudwater and soils for genrations to come.

The US just reintroduced it(DU), after a 60 year ban, to it's "special" weapons and armor. DU is extemely hard, penetrating power and protection power(tank armor) is superior, and of course the fact that it will continue to kill and maim it's victims long after the war is over was not a considered benifit of it's useage. *cough*

Read on:

"Afghanistan is just one of the countries devastated for all future generations by the use of depleted uranium weaponry in U.S. military aggressive actions dictated by U.S. foreign policy.

/snip/

In 1991, in the first Gulf War, the United States broke a 60 year taboo and introduced depleted uranium to the battleground, a radiological weapon which is truly a weapon of indiscriminate killing and mass destruction.

/snip/

It was known at that time that it would contaminate the air, water, food, and the soil. Entry into contaminated environments was impossible without certain exposure both to the enemy and to friendly forces.

U.S. NUCLEAR POLICY AND DEPLETED URANIUM
____________________________________________________________________________


The video, Metal of Dishonor: the Pentagon's Secret Weapon, exposes the dangers of the depleted uranium (DU) weapons currently being used by the U.S., most recently in Iraq.

/snip/

By now, half of all the 697,000 US soldiers involved in the 1991 war have reported serious illnesses. According to the American Gulf War Veterans Association, more than thirty percent of these soldiers are chronically ill and are receiving disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

/snip/

Between 1991 and 2003, Iraq's National Ministry of Health organized two international conferences to present data on the relationship between the high incidence of cancer and the use of DU weapons. It produced detailed epidemiological reports and statistical studies. These data showed a six-fold increase in breast cancer, a five-fold increase in lung cancer and a 16-fold increase in ovarian cancer. Because of the US-imposed sanctions, Iraqi doctors and scientists were barred from presenting their research papers in most of the world. (13)

US Position: No Cleanup

While the British military has admitted that British Challenger tanks expended some 1.9 tons of DU ammunition during major combat operations in Iraq this year, the Pentagon has refused to disclose specific information about whether and where it used DU during this 2003 campaign. It also is refusing to let a team from the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) study the environmental impact of DU contamination in Iraq.

/snip/

The Pentagon also has used its weight to control the media's handling of DU. John Hanchette, a professor of journalism at St. Bonaventure University, is a former editor of the Niagara Gazette and was a founding editor of USA Today. Hanchette told DU investigator Leuren Moret that from 1991 to 2001:

as editor of USA TODAY, he published news breaking stories on the effects of depleted uranium on Gulf War Veterans. Each time he was ready to publish a story about devastating illnesses in Gulf War soldiers, he got a phone call from the Pentagon pressuring him not to print the story. He has been replaced as Editor at USA TODAY. (14)


Depleted Uranium - The Pentagon Betrayal Of GIs And Iraqis
_________________________________________________________________________

That's the United States plan for genocide - the weapon that keeps on killing long after they are gone.

From other research I've done, the DU bullet to normal bullet is 5 - 1. That's Five DU bullets for every Onenon-DU bullet. Their 30mm fire up to 4,200 DU rounds per MINUTE, the 40mm bofors around 1800, and the larger"100+"mm cannons at 100 rounds per minute

So every mosque that has been targetted, which thousands of people visit daily, is now radioactive.

The more bullets the troops can fire, the more Iraquis will die, whether they are hit or not.

DU is genocide, and the United State is Guilty, and they know it - I'm sure they are aware of the following:

LEGALITY TEST FOR WEAPONS UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW

Weapons must pass four tests in order to determine that they are legal under international law. The tests are:

TEMPORAL TEST ­ Weapons must not continue to act after the battle is over.

ENVIRONMENTAL TEST ­ Weapons must not be unduly harmful to the environment.

TERRITORIAL TEST ­ Weapons must not act off of the battlefield.

HUMANENESS TEST ­ Weapons must not kill or wound inhumanely.

Depleted uranium weaponry fails all four tests. For that reason it is illegal under all treaties, all agreements and all war conventions:
________________________________________________________________________

This is what I have for neighbors

(sigh)

[PaDUer]

10. Nor all the problems

from Agent Orange.

[InkAddict]

12. Of course. the data quality is poor and inaccurate

Defense, VA lack common data exchange
BY Matthew French
May 20, 2004

http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2004/0517/web-dodva-05-20-04.asp



Koontz said a one-way transfer of data from DOD to VA health care facilities has been achieved but identifying the technical solution for a two-way change has proven elusive.

"The relationships between the departments' managers is not clearly defined, a lead entity with final decision-making authority has not been designated, and a coordinated, comprehensive project plan that articulates the joint initiative's resource requirements, time frames, and respective roles and responsibilities of each department has not yet been established," Koontz said.

For the past six years, VA and DOD officials have been working to achieve an electronic medical record and patient health information-sharing capability, beginning with a joint project in 1998 to develop a computer-based patient record.

"As we noted in previous testimony, the departments have achieved a measure of success in sharing data through the one-way transfer of health information from DOD to VA health care facilities," Koontz said.

She said the departments are unable to determine — or at least explain — how the two-way exchange will be achieved or when.

[Ilsa]

13. More bullshit for the vets.

My brother was telling me about all his buddies that came back from PGW I and had babies right away. Most of them had serious birth defects. Several years ago they were told by the Army that even ten years later they still had a 33% higher rate of birth defects. My brother gave up his fertility for that first asinine war.