June 22, 2001

Many veterans of the Gulf War have expressed concern that their unexplained illnesses may have resulted from their experiences in that war. In response to veterans’ concerns, the Department of Defense established a task force in June 1995 to investigate incidents and circumstances relating to possible causes. The Office of the Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense for Gulf War Illnesses assumed responsibility for these investigations on November 12, 1996. Effective April 5, 2001, this office became the Office of the Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness) for Gulf War Illnesses, Medical Readiness, and Military Deployments, with continued responsibility for Gulf War issues.

Case Narratives are reports of what we know today about specific events that took place during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm of 1990 and 1991. This particular case narrative focuses on a medically diagnosed exposure to a chemical warfare agent by a US soldier during the Gulf War. We published interim narratives on this subject in August 1997 and in October 2000. This is a final report; however, if you believe you have information that may change this case narrative, please contact the Office of the Special Assistant by calling:

Office of the Special Assistant
to the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness) for
Gulf War Illnesses, Medical Readiness, and Military Deployments
US Department of Defense
2001134-0000002 Ver 3.0

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. METHODOLOGY

 

II. SUMMARY

 

III. NARRATIVE

A. Background

B. Location of Incident

C. Medical Diagnosis and Treatment

D. Physical Evidence

1. The Fox Tests

2. Urinalysis

3. Photographs

4. Chemical Research, Development, and Engineering Tests of Coverall Cloth and Flak Jacket

E. Subject Matter Experts’ Opinions

1. Medical

2. MM-1 Mobile Mass Spectrometer

F. Analyzing the Incident

1. Likelihood of Chemical Agents in the Area

2. Location of Possible Chemical Exposure

3. Medical Expertise

4. Factors Affecting an Accurate Diagnosis

5. Absence of Thiodiglycol

6. Discrepancies in Test Results

 

IV. ASSESSMENT

TAB A - Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Glossary

TAB B - Units Involved

TAB C - Bibliography

TAB D - Methodology for Chemical Warfare Incident Investigation

TAB E - Chronology of Events

TAB F - Transcription of Printout of Fox Test of Coveralls

TAB G - Transcription of Printout of Fox Test of Flak Jacket

TAB H - Ion Relative Intensity Data

TAB I - General Accounting Office Comments

TAB J - Summary of New Information

END NOTES

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