Samuel Nunn: “Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield in the Persian Gulf ended over 3 years ago, but many of the military men and women…”

“Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield in the Persian Gulf ended over 3 years ago, but many of the military men and women who served in that conflict are still suffering from the consequences of their service. One of the diseases that military doctors have successfully diagnosed in a small number of Persian Gulf veterans is a parasitic disease called leishmaniasis. This disease can be contracted through the bites of sand flies found in the desert of southwest Asia, and attacks the immune and nervous systems of its victims. In the January 31 edition of Army Times newspaper, author George Wilson had a column about the courageous struggle of Army Captain Marcus Nerone, who is battling leishmaniasis with the help of Army doctors at Walter Reed hospital. Unfortunately, leishmaniasis is not the only ailment affecting many of the men and women who served in the Persian Gulf conflict. Within a year after the end of the war, some veterans began suffering from a mystery illness, the symptoms of which include joint pain, fatigue, headaches, decreased short term memory, rashes, painful burning muscles, and sleep disorders.”