DAV Praises VA Action for Persian Gulf Veterans with ALS
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Contact:David E. Autry (202) 554-3501
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 10, 2001
DAV Praises VA Action for Persian Gulf Veterans with ALS
WASHINGTON-The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is applauding the
action
taken today by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to grant
immediate
service connection for Persian Gulf War veterans who suffer from
amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis (ALS).
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 presumptive 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."
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 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.
"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."
"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."
The Disabled American Veterans is a non-profit organization
founded
in
1920 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932. It is dedicated to
one,
single purpose: building better lives for our nation's 2.3 million
disabled
veterans and their families.