Force Health Protection Through Global Medical Surveillance

Abstract

The Desert Storm conflict of 1991 and 1992 was a strategic military victory for the United States, but in its wake came reports of medical ailments that became known as “Gulf War Syndrome” or “Persian Gulf Illness.” Like the post-Vietnam era, when many veterans complained that exposure to Agent Orange left them debilitated, Desert Storm raised critical issues for the Military Health System (MHS) and the United States Military. Thousands of American service personnel reported ailments following the conflict, and headlines told of birth defects found in Gulf War babies. Multiple theories were advanced, including oil-fume inhalation, exposure to chemical weapons, and delayed reactions to vaccines, but the cause proved elusive.