European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 08, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes Gulf War syndrome monday August 8,1994 studies of vets ailments assailed Agency says research inadequate data contradictory by Cindy Killion Washington Bureau Washington the general accounting office has blasted the defense and veterans affairs departments in their attempts to track the reproductive problems persian Gulf War veterans have reported since the end of the War. 4n a report released Friday to the Seri ate veterans affairs committee the Gao the investigative Arm of Congress also found a contradiction in the defense department s stance that coalition forces did not possess chemical agents during the conflict. The dispute opens the possibility that . Troops were contaminated by coalition chemical agents and that these agents could be linked to health prob lems in children conceived since the end of the 1991 War. The czech defense ministry announced in late july 1993 that a decontamination unit from what was then Czechoslovakia had found evidence of chemical warfare agents at three locations in Northern saudi Arabia during the Early phases of the Gulf War s air Campaign. Czechoslovakia has since divided into two nations the czech Republic and Slovakia. . Officials investigated the report and found it credible even though no samples of the agents were collected atthe time of detection. Shortly after the announcement . Defense officials said the most Likely Rea son for the detections was that the czechoslovakian equipment picked up Low level chemical fallout after Allied bombing of suspected iraqi chemical munitions storage Sites. Since then officials have stood firm in Gao recommends More studies in Light of its findings regarding re search on the persian Gulf syndrome the general accounting office made three recommendations to the Senate veterans affairs committee More studies need to be done on the effects that multiple exposures to various compounds have on the immune system As they relate to reproductive dysfunction. The departments of defense and veterans affairs should expand their data collection base on birth outcomes to include More Active duty Reserve and discharged Gulf War veterans. The Dod should develop proce dures to ensure  Are in formed of possible reproductive toxins before deployment and that efforts Are undertaken to Monitor exposure Levels to such hazards. Their assertions that neither the United states nor its allies had chemical weapons in the area. A june report by the defense science Board reinforced that position on the possible causes of the persian Gulf syn drome and its relation to chemical agents. Iraq is believed to be the Only nation that had chemical weapons in. The Gulf theater the science Board report said. _ the Gao report said the defense intelligence Agency has since determined that the detections could not have been caused by fallout from a bombed iraqi facility because the winds were blowing away from Allied positions or from a direct chemical attack by iraqi forces. The most logical explanation Accord ing to the Dia was that the detection was a result of live agent testing of czech equipment or a possible Accident involving chemical agents among coalition forces the Gao report said. That was not the Only problem the Gao found. Some activities were undertaken to Monitor veterans for Adverse reproductive effects after their deployment. However these efforts have major Short comings o r raise concerns on several counts the report said. The monitoring efforts have not addressed most forms of reproductive prob lems such As infertility miscarriage and other types of dysfunction the report said. For example the original a registry asked veterans about obvious birth defects such As missing or deformed limbs and asked whether women who were on the registry became pregnant while deployed the Gao said. The a has since revised its registry questionnaire to ask about miscarriages acid other problems but it has not yet decided whether it will re query the 20,000 veterans who Are already on the Regis try the Gao said. If not it s possible that the revised and expanded data will not be collected for the very people who Are having the most serious health  on the Dod front the Gao said a study being done by the Navy medical research Center in san Diego will not include enough people to be valid. The study plans to compare birth out comes Between people who were and those who weren to deployed to the Gulf. The study will not include births outside military hospitals nor will it include re serve forces or those who have left Mili tary service on l Rockefeller called reports of the reproductive prob lems a stunning and shocking consequence of military service. There s never been a hearing like this  s Long overdue. Miller told the panel that he deployed As a medic to the persian Gulf with the 3rd army div. In late Jan uary 1991, he injured his shoulder and was medically evacuated to  shortly after his return his wife became pregnant. The family soon was transferred to fort Sam Houston Texas where Miller began working in the critical care Ward at Brooke army medical Center. That s when a routine ultrasound and prenatal test revealed problems with the Millers unborn child. After extensive genetic testing and hereditary re search Miller said the doctor concluded that Only chemicals could cause such multiple deformities. The doctor asked what drugs my wife and i were using since there were no genetic or heredity problems and. Our first child was perfect healthy Miller said. We said there weren t any drugs Only that i had been in the Gulf. At that Point the doctor became quiet he said.  Miller described the emotional physical and financial exhaustion his family has endured since Cedrick s birth. Miller in t looking for special compensation he _ said. He Only wants the senators to know that his family is one of Many who Are experiencing similar problem with their newborns since the Gulf War. Troy and Kelli Albuck also Are one of those  Albuck testified for 20 minutes about the reproductive problems she and her husband a former army Ranger officer with the 82nd airborne div have had since he came Home from the Gulf. She said she has had two miscarriages and a son Al expander who was born with multiple defect including underdeveloped lungs spinal meningitis cranial he Merrhage a prolapsed heart severe jaundice and Cere bral palsy. A /.-.  the couple s child born before the War is healthy after alexanders birth Albuck became pregnant again despite using Oral contraceptives combined with a diaphragm in and the withdrawal method of birth  is in her seventh month and tests have shown that this child too has multiple birth defects r Albuck described the shooter to fire she experiences when her husband ejaculates during sex. I know it sounds funny but Many wives on for Bragg . Said they experienced the same thine when their husbands returned. It feels like i m Bonfire inside. V and shortly afterwards within hours or Days i Al ways develop abdominal or vaginal infections " she said i -. ". Albuck and her husband have been diagnosed with the persian Gulf syndrome but because Troy Albu Khas left Active duty military service and is not in the re serves Only he is eligible for care at a veterans affairs or department of defense medical facility -. Tr9/ Albuck is fully disabled from the syndrome so his wife and son Alexander exist on medicaid Alexander had health insurance when he was born a  Len Dollar lifetime limit on cover agn  sad. He went through that half million in the first 88 Days of his  she said she has spoken with " hundreds of Eulf vet eran families All Over the world who Are having similar problems. 5o�uua a i be even talked to a lot of women who Are still on Active duty who have had two or three miscarriages since returning Home. Yet the military has t done any thing it does t even consider them to be High risk pregnancy candidates she said. Miller added that he believes the military knows there has been an increase in birth defects but is ignoring the  his testimony he introduced a letter from an Active duty nurse who works on a maternity and neonatal Ward. The nurse writes there has been a noticeable in crease m the number and severity of birth defects since the end of the War. I m not the Only one who has no cd it most of Ray co workers have commented onit too. "  -.-,---/,.-.- Vij v. Miller said the nurse will leave the military in two weeks and has sked not to be identified until that time Tor fear of whistle blowing retaliation by the  the Senate committee agreed to the   the senators that Given the num Bers of afflicted spouses and children it s an obvious Faure on the part of Congress Dod and the a to excludes from solutions to the Gulf War syndrome. It s imperative that we be included in any research and treatment for the  Troy Albuck was More forceful the a should not sen 41� exude families anymore he told the senators. These people have injuries caused by War. It anyone can find another group of people with the in j?0.iemstwho were not m the Gulf then i la be Neve Aiex s problems Are not service connected. Is no. Carrying his Battle wounds like a we has fought longer and harder than any have Ever known he stood when the Doc Wynum h Uever would he used when they said he would die he deserves  Lis  a ayin that Abraham Lincoln Stab a Nettl i t ? e Natin s wounds. That s the hamur31?-?810? statement if i failed missions on the Battlefield 1,1T tie a continues to do i would t " " the a is its Mission contributing to this report the associated press