ALS linked to Persian Gulf service.

DAV applauded the swift, decisive action taken by the VA to grant immediate service connection for Persian Gulf War veterans who suffer from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and benefits to their families and survivors.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi announced the unusual action citing the results of a new VA and Department of Defense (DOD) study which found preliminary evidence that veterans who served in Operation Desert Shield-Desert Storm are nearly twice as likely as their non-deployed counterparts to develop ALS. Commonly called Lou Gehrig's disease, ALS is a fatal neurological disease that destroys the nerve cells that control muscle movement. Neither a cause nor an effective treatment for ALS is known.

"The DAV is pleased that Secretary Principi acted swiftly to aid Gulf War veterans suffering from ALS, their families, and their survivors," said DAV National Commander George H. Steese, Jr. "The decision to immediately grant service connection also means that Gulf War veterans suffering from ALS can get immediate medical treatment and care from the VA and that their families will be cared for."

"I am pleased that the VA is once again making a major contribution that will benefit veterans and, in fact, all Americans," Secretary Principi said. "I am committed to doing research that provides a better understanding of diseases that affect veterans and providing disability compensation as early as possible."

The Secretary's action covers members of the armed services who deployed to Southwest Asia from Aug. 2, 1990 through July 31, 1991. Southwest Asia includes the countries of Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and other nations in addition to Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The joint VA-DoD study, which began in March 2000, involved nearly 700,000 service members deployed during the Persian Gulf War and 1.8 million who did not deploy during the designated period. It found 40 cases of ALS among deployed veterans, a statistically significant greater number than would be normal for the rare disease.

"We will compensate veterans with ALS and their survivors, and we will do so quickly," Secretary Principi said. "We are giving compensation now because of the fatal nature of the disease. Veterans need help now and they will get it."

Secretary Principi said another result of the study is that VA medical researchers would also investigate ALS. "We will turn our expertise to ALS to try to find the cause, treatment, and cure," he said. "Every veteran with ALS will receive the best health care possible."

The study found that members of the Air Force Gulf War veterans had the statistically greatest number of ALS cases, followed by the Army. Navy and Marine Corps Gulf War veterans had the least number of cases. The $1.3 million joint VA-DoD study included case reviews, examinations, and at-home interviews with participants.

Secretary Principi, a decorated Vietnam veteran, likened the Gulf War to environmental battlefield illnesses of the Vietnam War. The federal government denied for years that Agent Orange posed an environmental health risk to U.S. troops in Vietnam. Studies later found that Agent Orange caused several severe health risks to veterans and their families.

"The DAV is ready to lend assistance to Gulf War veterans and their families who believe they may be eligible for compensation," Commander Steese said. "They should contact their nearest DAV National Service Office."