After nearly 30 years of trying to prove a theory, that an environmental toxin was responsible for sickening roughly 250,000 U.S. troops who served in the 1990-91 Persian Gulf War, new research confirms that sarin nerve gas caused Gulf War Illness.

Following the Gulf War, nearly one-third of all who deployed reported unexplained chronic symptoms such as rashes, fatigue, gastrointestinal and digestive issues, brain "fog," neuropathy, and muscle and joint pain. Federal agencies spent years broadly dismissing the idea that troops may have been suffering from exposure to chemical agents, with many veterans experiencing symptoms sent to mental health providers.

But a study published last week in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives used genetic research and survey data to determine that U.S. service members exposed to sarin were more likely to develop Gulf War Illness, and those who were exposed and had a weaker variant of a gene that helps digest pesticides were nine times more likely to have symptoms.

Findings prove that Gulf War illness was caused by sarin, which was released when we bombed Iraqi chemical weapons storage and production facilities. There are still more than 100,000 Gulf War veterans who are not getting help for this illness and the hope is that these findings will accelerate the search for better treatment.

Originally developed as a pesticide, the chemical weapon sarin was known to have been stockpiled by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein prior to and after the 1990-91 Persian Gulf War. The synthetic nerve agent attacks the central nervous system and brain, killing victims by triggering an overreaction of neurotransmitters that causes convulsions and asphyxiation.

Thousands of coalition troops likely were exposed to sarin and cyclosarin, an organic phosphate also used as a chemical weapon, when the U.S. destroyed a bunker housing chemical weapons at the Khamisiyah Ammunition Storage Depot in southern Iraq, sending a plume of contaminants that spread across a 25-mile radius. Others may have been subjected to low levels of contaminants, as troops frequently reported that chemical weapons alarms went off in the absence of any apparent attack.

This research could pave the way for more veterans to access health care and benefits and open up research into possible treatments. The symptoms are caused by brain inflammation, which may be treatable once scientists figure out exactly how sarin works.

The study, which was conducted by the Division of Epidemiology in the Internal Medicine Department at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, provides a clear path for VA to presume sarin exposure for all 1991 Gulf War veterans. The study provides a compelling missing scientific link for treatment research for Gulf War Veterans disabled since their exposures during Desert Storm.

The VA presumes certain chronic, unexplained symptoms existing for 6 months or more are related to Gulf War service without regard to cause. These "presumptive" ill-nesses include Certain Rare Lung Cancers, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Functional gastrointestinal disorders, and Undiagnosed illnesses with symptoms that may include but are not limited to: abnormal weight loss, fatigue, cardiovascular disease, muscle and joint pain, headache, menstrual disorders, neurological and psychological problems, skin conditions, respiratory disorders, and sleep disturbances.

Gulf War Veterans who meet these criteria don't need to prove a connection between their military service and illnesses to get VA disability compensation.

If you have any questions or wish to file a claim, contact Charles Mix County Veterans Service Officer Jerry Seiner at 605-487-7691 or 605-481-1338.