The Feb 28 edition of Warrior Connection was a discussion on effects

of Desert Storm plus 25 years.  My Veterans day  November 10, 2000

invited talk in the United States Senate forms the basis for our

discussion along with lots of DOD- VA reports.  Please refer to Dr. Gary

Null's documentaries  and reports on gulf war illness on this web site.

Address at Fall Congressional / Coalition Leadership Breakfast

325 Russell Senate Office Building

U.S. Senate

Washington D.C.

November 10, 2000

Dr. Doug Rokke

Distinguished

Members of Congress, Coalition Leaders, Fellow Warriors, and Guests--

It is a distinct honor to address you today. During the Gulf War I was

the U.S. Army health physicist assigned to 12th Preventive Medicine AM

theater command staff and the 3rd U.S. Army Medical Command

headquarters. I was recalled to active duty 20 years after serving in

Vietnam, from my research job with the University of Illinois Physics

Department and sent to the Gulf to ensure that all military and civilian

personnel were prepared for the anticipated nuclear, biological,

chemical, and environmental exposures. I also was assigned to two

equally vital special operations teams: Bauer‘s Raiders and the Depleted

Uranium Assessment team.

        The preparations for war take

many forms.   Infantry soldiers learn and practice their combat skills,

truck drivers practice maneuvering their rigs to make sure they can

deliver supplies, and medical personnel prepare to treat the expected

combat casualties. Ideally, preparations are driven by intelligence

reports. However as the recent bombing of the U.S.S. Cole shows

commanders may ignore intelligence information and not protect either

their personnel or equipment.   Prior to the start of Operation Desert

Storm military intelligence reports and threats issued by President

Saddam Hussein suggested that nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare

and environmental hazards (NBC-E) would be employed to win battles.

       

As we prepared for the battle in the Deserts of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait,

and Iraq, medical and combat unit commanders realized that medical

personnel must be able to provide emergency medical care to conserve the

fighting strength in an NBC-E environment. This required an assessment

of medical capabilities.   Four deficiencies were identified.

       

First, an assessment of existing emergency medical response

capabilities in the staging areas located within Saudi Arabia revealed

the need to respond to medical emergencies resulting from combat to

disease and non-battle injuries (DNBI). Second, an assessment of medical

personnel arriving in Southwest Asia verified that most of them did not

have the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to provide medical

care for the expected nuclear, biological, chemical, and environmental

(NBC-E) casualties much less the conventional weapons casualties. Third,

the we verified that that most operations personnel needed a NBC-E

defense refresher course that was specifically designed for verified

threats. Fourth, we needed to design and construct decontamination

facilities, prepare standard decontamination procedures, and train

personnel to provide immediate personnel and equipment decontamination.  

       

Consequently, Bauer's Raiders, the 3d U.S. Army Medical Command theater

NBC-E special operations planning and teaching team was formed. Each

team member had prior combat experience and was a qualified medical and

NBC-E instructor. This team also designed and supervised the

construction of the NBC decontamination facilities and provided

operations assistance throughout the echelons above corps, corps, and

coalition forces.

        Since 1991 numerous Department of

Defense reports have stated that medical and tactical commanders were

unaware of the probable NBC-E exposures and never told about the medical

and environmental consequences of these exposures. THAT IS A LIE! They

were told! They were warned! Immedi