The Gulf War, also known as Desert Shield and Desert Storm, began in August 1990 when Iraq, under the leadership of Saddam Hussein, invaded neighboring Kuwait. Iraq aimed to control Kuwait’s vast oil reserves and strengthen its regional power. In response, the United Nations called for Iraq to withdraw, and when diplomacy failed, a coalition of 35 nations led by the United States launched Operation Desert Shield. This operation focused on protecting Saudi Arabia and building up forces in the region.
By January 1991, after repeated attempts at negotiation, the coalition began Operation Desert Storm, a massive air and ground campaign to liberate Kuwait. For six weeks, coalition forces launched airstrikes, followed by a ground assault that quickly overwhelmed Iraqi troops. With its highly coordinated international coalition, advanced technology, and decisive strategy, Desert Storm ended in victory for the Allied forces.
“A line has been drawn in the sand…Withdraw from Kuwait unconditionally and immediately, or face the terrible consequences.”
-President George H.W. Bush
Gulf War Statistics
- Total U.S. Service Members (Worldwide): 2,224,997
- Deployed to Gulf: 694,550
- Battle Deaths: 148
- Other Deaths (In Theater): 235
- Other Deaths in Service (Non-Theater): 1,565
- Non-mortal Woundings: 467
- Living Veterans (2026): 1,680,000 (approx.)
Unique Health Risks
Exposure to Chemical or Biological Agents
Gulf War Veterans reported a variety of unexplained health problems that they attributed to their participation in the Gulf War, including chronic fatigue, muscle and joint pain, loss of concentration, forgetfulness, headache, and rash.
There were and continue to be many concerns about the association between the illnesses and symptoms Veterans report and their exposure to toxic agents, environmental and wartime hazard, and preventive medicines and vaccines they received.
Exposure to Smoke
Among studies that examined pulmonary outcomes in associations with specific exposures in the Gulf War Theater, exacerbation of asthma associated with oil-well fire smoke has been indicated.
Depleted Uranium (DU)
Depleted uranium is a byproduct of the uranium enrichment process that makes nuclear fuel. The U.S. military uses tank armor and some bullets made with depleted uranium (DU) to penetrate enemy armored vehicles. Depleted uranium has approximately 60 percent of the radioactivity and the same chemical toxicity as natural uranium. The U.S. military began using DU on a large scale during the Gulf War in the early 1990s.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
On December 10, 2001, Veterans’ Affairs Secretary, Anthony Principi, announced that a VA study revealed that Persian Gulf War Veterans are more than twice as likely as other Veterans to develop ALS.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Deployment places Veterans at increased risk for symptoms of psychiatric illnesses, particularly posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression and substance abuse.
