Are you a 1990-91 Gulf War Veteran with concerns about Gulf War Illness? The VA Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses subcommittee is hosting two Veteran Engagement Sessions for 1990-91 Gulf War Veterans in Phoenix, Arizona. These sessions provide Gulf War Veterans the opportunity to share their experience with Gulf War Illness.

To encourage every Gulf War Veteran to join and share their story, these sessions are being held both in-person at two different locations and times, as well as virtually via Webex.

April 23

  • Time: 7-9:30 p.m. ET / 6-8:30 p.m. CT / 4 to 6:30 p.m. MT and PT
  • Hilton Phoenix Resort at The Peak, Sedona Conference Room #4, 7677 North 16th Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85020 (Free parking and handicap accessible)
  • Join online: Click here for Veteran Engagement Session Day One
  • Password: GWVET1991! (case sensitive)
  • Join by phone: (toll-free) 1-833-558-0712, access code: 2826 178 2537

April 24

  • Time: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. ET / 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. CT / 8 to 10:30 a.m. MT and PT
  • Phoenix 32nd St. VA Clinic, Conference Rooms 5C107/5C108, 400 N. 32nd St., Phoenix, Arizona 85020 (Free parking and handicap accessible)
  • Join online: Click here for Veteran Engagement Session Day Two
  • Password: GWVETS1991! (case sensitive)
  • Join by phone: (toll-free) 1-833-558-0712, access code: 2824 521 1053

These meetings are free and open to 1990-91 Gulf War Veterans and their family members, caregivers, physicians, scientists and members of the general public. Get more information about these meetings and other Gulf War Veteran related information.  

The Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses  is a Congressionally mandated committee under the VA Federal Advisory Committee Act. It meets several times each year to provide advice and make recommendations to the VA Secretary on proposed research studies, plans and strategies related to understanding and treating the health consequences of military service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the 1990-91 Gulf War.

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9 Comments

  1. edward bryan April 30, 2024 at 10:17 - Reply

    https://www.independentbudget.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Independent-Budget-2024-FY2025-2026.pdf

    This could be the highest budget so far. This is news. VFW May 2024 Recommends $151.8 Billion for 2025 VHA Budget. Let’s see what passes.

  2. edward bryan April 25, 2024 at 11:24 - Reply

    I am still looking at Stem Cell Therapy and looks like I hit a nerve. We need the committee to look further and see and at least another look and see approach. I know their getting ready for Clinical Trials Implementation and how many Trials are there?
    This is great news, but nothing to tell the veteran community. We need as veterans a better accountability of a treatment. The VA-RAC has been listening to Doctors and Researchers for 15 straight years with no success. We may have to review the business outcome and determine an outcome. Spending cost for gulf war illnesses or CMI is an all-time high, Close to a Billion Dollars if you add everything up. We need a $100 Billion or less for the Pact Act alone. The VA-RAC meeting on April 23-24,2024. was a great turn out but all information should be voted on by the full committee.

  3. Eric Glover April 25, 2024 at 09:17 - Reply

    When tens of thousands of deployed & undeployed troops both suffer the same “multi-symptom chronic illness”, one has to ask, what is the common exposures between the two groups? I applaud the due diligence of sincere civil servants but a protected variable continues to be avoided, that of “vaccines”. The illness manifested early when our CO made the circuit with every infantry platoon (2AD 3/41 INF Tiger Brigade) days before the ground war & ordered additional vaccination (atop ~18 already) to include signing a nondisclosure to never reveal it. We see this malfeasance continue to this day by obscuring the obvious on a large scale, under the guise of conspiracy against “safe & effective”, despite the upending of medical ethics for proper trials & testing bound by the oath of “due no harm”. Until a sober acknowledgement & study is undertaken, these “engagements” are nothing more than PR efforts to assuage malfeasance on a grand scale. VA’s response to this question of investigating consistent illness for both deployed/nondeployed was curiously appeased when “RACGWVI invited a DoD spokesman to address the topic but there was no response”.

    https://www.va.gov/RAC-GWVI/meetings/Sep2022/RACGWVI_Meeting_Minutes_20_21_Sept_2022_508_1.pdf

  4. Kirt Love April 24, 2024 at 09:15 - Reply

    Im extremely surprised at the reactions the 23rd to getting viable DNA
    from blood serum. There seems to be a effort to play down the DODSR
    and a specialty clinic to call on them to amplify and sequence the 1989
    HIV serum samples. Technicalities.

    Of course the DODSR wants everyone to believe it cant be done. There
    email to me was just for that purpose. Only this is NOT a new problem
    and many worked it out over 20 years ago. There are almost 20 variations
    of methods pioneered from 2003 to present both in forensics and in the
    disease diagnosis industries that took this challenge. DARPA helped
    pioneer some of this 8 years ago. Which they have only recently begun
    to talk about. Joint ventures with WHO and CDC for one.

    Ide have to write 15 pages of material to the committee covering much
    of that history and the kits pioneered because of it. That is not my job,
    and would not have gone over well. That is what your technical staff should
    be doing which seems to allude them. Just dismiss me outright.

    I allowed that the 23rd to see how far the committee would go. You let
    others drone on rather than even seek my input. Right up to the close
    of the meeting. What, read my letter after the meeting but comment
    on it during the meeting?

    There is a structure to all this. The PL 105-368 that failed to produce
    supportive evidence or specialty care. The failure of the WRIISC to
    be available and sympathetic. VAs ongoing grudge match to keep the
    evidence at bay. Keep healthcare and benefits vague for us. Since 2012
    VA used policy to defuse the issue even more. Take out the advocates
    and stop the RAC from publishing – opposing. All this time Ive been trying
    decade after decade to refine the final request that would produce
    substantive evidence. Genomics and true tissue sample collection.
    Stopped over and over by all manner of bureaucracy.

    Your lack of enthusiasm the 23rd showed me you plan to blow off my
    discussion and content. Its been already decided by VA. Your glad to
    listen to anyone but me. To ignore this and find easy faults to play it
    down. Im a damaged veteran trying to find answer and its easy to
    find fault when you look at my writing. To look at syntax, structure,
    grammar, content, and dismiss me like snobs over whatever you can
    find that day. But, Im trying like hell here with good science, and
    being trivialized is a sign of extreme arrogance. Ide be better versed
    if I was a part of a committee getting current intel from within rather than
    datamining on the outside to keep up. In my case, to surpass.

    27 years of this, have you not figured out just how determined I am?
    Its not important to me you find out what I know, its important to me
    you hand off to people who can understand me. Because I spend
    every day studying molecular medicine refining my understanding
    of cellular functions at the quantum level. Why the enzymes are
    out of balance, why I produce far more lipids than I need. What part
    of the genome effected this the war changed. Is that compound in my
    adipose body tissues doing it now?

    Im ready to talk science and tech, not politics and favoritism. I think this
    committee has lost all perspective and leads to meeting where only
    25 people attend. Because I know whole other crowd that wants to
    be a part of this VA drove away, and they hate what this committee
    has become. Starting with Jim Binns that they dont need.

    Your going about this wrong, and the need to play me down because
    you have better answers is not the case. The ACMO should look into
    how this committee is functioning, and methodology because I do not
    find you objective – more subjective. Arrogant. Wasting valuable time.

    Watching you the 23rd, you plan to go on adinfinitum this way. Burning
    the clock which Im sure VA is thrilled with. I demand results.

    Sincerely
    Kirt P. Love
    Director, DSBR
    former member VA ACGWV

  5. Kirt Love April 22, 2024 at 13:38 - Reply

    Good afternoon Mr. Love,

    The Office of Client Relations is in receipt of your April 21, 2024, email to Secretary McDonough. We appreciate your input and the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veteran Illnesses (RAC) will be provided a copy of your submission.

    **Please note that this email address does not accept replies.

    Office of the Secretary | Office of Client Relations
    Department of Veterans Affairs
    810 Vermont Ave., NW
    Washington, DC 20420

  6. Kirt Love April 21, 2024 at 10:52 - Reply

    In April 2022 I had a hard time getting a WRIISC referral to the DC
    center. Peter Rumm finally had it taken care of with some effort. Got
    the request in, and 2 provisos.

    1. Gene sequencing my pre and post blood samples from the war and
    now to show genetic damage.

    2. Take a adipose fatty tissue biopsy and have it analyzed.

    When I finally met Dr. Barrett in charge of the WRIISC, he really built up
    what the clinic could do for me. But, after a few months of local VA
    visits and extensive video phone sessions – it was empty promises.
    Pretty much psychiatric exams with repeating themes. Like implying
    I want to hurt myself, and I dont.

    When I pressed Dr. Barrett at the end about the 2 provisos. He said a
    flat no to them. We dont do that here. Even implied the ideas were
    too far ahead for them. Like 10 years ahead of them. Then pretty much
    told me my only real option was PTSD. Even though they found evidence
    of a possible TBI from the war. He had nothing, and was just trying to
    force me square peg into a round hole. Some clinic.

    In forensic circles my ideas arent a big deal. Almost routine. Been heading
    this way for along time now because of the gas chromatograph, and mass
    spectrometer. 2 things our crowd would benefit from in a clinic. Only, this
    is mostly autopsy equipment. Some research clinics.

    Been howling Toxic Exposure Pathology Center for some time now. A type
    of specialty clinic that would not consider tissue biopsy invasive and
    shrink from it. That is VA’s position all around. Toxic exposure exams, the
    burn pit registry, and PACT act over all will NEVER take physical samples
    this way other wise. Will end up oral 10 minute exams at best.

    PL 105-368 failed us on the WRIISC because VA wanted the WRIISC to
    fail. Getting rid of walk-ins was big goal, and they got it. Exams and such
    are done from home by the same VAMC’s failing them. You never see the
    inside of a WRIISC or shake one hand. That is not what we asked for with
    PL 105-368. A specialty clinic able to do more than general medicine.

    We need specialty programs and clinics. VA does NOT provide them. the
    sad thing is PL 105-368 language says it can. Same with PL 117 – 168. The
    word “amend” is lost to Congress on both. Tweak the language.

    Im going on 33 years trying to get answers, and the people turning me
    away have no urgency because there lives are on track. Who cares if I find
    answers. that lack of imagination and clinical detachment has not improved
    the lives of me or my fellow 1991 vets. We have been ignored, turned away.
    and waited out up to now. Not the letter of the law or its intent.

    We need specialty clinics and the WRIISC is not it. Pathology, even the forensic
    type does have answers if VA would stop twisting the intent. Claim to look
    for Toxic aspects then ask only oral questions. The science IS there, and it
    doesnt have to be post morteum. Its not 10 years from now such as the current
    WRIISC suggest. They had there chance, time for something else, better.

  7. Kirt Love April 20, 2024 at 10:43 - Reply

    Going to try something different once more, post my public comments
    here before the meeting. Have to split this up because only allowed
    5,000 words per post. Doc word count says 2,139 words. See what this
    does. But, this will reach more than the RAC website will. Yep, server
    rejected it. VA punishes us by implying these are longer than they are

    ———————–

    So this comes back to my soap box request of the voting platform Uservoice once implemented by VA’s GW task force in 2010. The idea was to pitch ideas in the public platform, and let the community vote on which ones they liked. Rather than rely of the Sec of VA to implement which he doesnt.
    Ok, third page which has made this a longer letter than others. I cant write it smaller because Im already abbreviating this one too much. Years and years of interaction with the executive branch since 1997, and its getting worse – not better. Mostly because of Congress. Not being diligent or caring.

    In some ways Im repeating myself. In others Im nearing the end of a 33 year odyssey as I zero in on what I think are my answers. As to my own medical research, I can show the positive aspects of several dietary supplements. Its normalized my blood labs over the last 2 years to the point the doctor is getting bored dealing with me. Chloecalif saved my life. Vitamin D reversed many of my metabolic issues. Then Lisinopril, Cyanocobalamin, Fish oil, and such. Limiting environmental exposures from the water supply via distilling. Limiting sugars such as Fructose, lactose, and all artificial sweetners. Avoiding all forms of additive compounds like MSG, TBHQ, Nitrites, and such. As my body just cant handle many of the normal day to day array of factors people are exposed to in America. Right down to the farmers around me spraying Round up 120 feet across from my home.

    To the point Ive built my own medical laboratory and study molecular medicine daily. Im pretty sure of my findings – with the interference of the Dyenin proteins and Lysosomes interactions with the mitochondria. The reduced functions lead to a slower homeothermic response, and which leads to higher lipid mobilization in response to sugars. Enzymatic errors varying from Cholinesterase to Amylase and so on in ongoing small Lysosome bottlenecks. The genome has been damaged and my bodies enzymes stay slightly out of balance. The effect is additive over time. The possiblity that Gamma-AminoButyric Acid and Alluose will help offset Glutamate imbalances. Sleep, etc.

    My blood labs confirm much of this. My only draw back is the Fursomide I was taking did kidney damage and Im waiting to see if I can reverse these labs as well. Kidney pain is reduced sicne I stopped. Other wise, most of my GI tract and cardio neurology is responding favorably. At 60 Im not further degenerating on several fronts. Though bone and joint degeneration is not improving. There are other aspects I dont expect change due to circumstances and age.

    Im dismayed at current dogma and attitudes in our arena. The indifference show me these last 2 years as I point out ALL veterans would benefit from vitamin D due to normal geriatric issues. My proposals are not alien, extreme, or that unusual. Just being ignored by people who find it easy to do so. But, Im getting very tired of repeating obvious aspects here over and over to VA and the RAC. As if these do not have merit or warrant response, attention, or publication. Can you really look at Congress and tell them veterans would not benefit from vitamin D therapy just given there age? To me this is now cold contempt and arrogance towards the bulk of veterans everywhere. Is it not your jobs as public servants to improve the lives of others? How, when? How low do we have to sink in all of this before others catch on nothing is getting done here? Which is a violation of the long old and unchanging PL 105-368 law that demands so little as it is.

    Veteran deserve a round table, not public comments. We deserve annual public reports with meaningful helpful content. We should have a specialized clinical program and tissue program to deal with our unique situations. The research should be wrapping up on genetic and tissue /chemical identification. This isnt complicated, it and more should and could be done right now.

    Thank you for your time and patience.
    Sincerely
    Kirt P. Love
    Director, DSBR
    former member VA ACGWV

    Part 3 ………………

  8. Kirt Love April 20, 2024 at 10:42 - Reply

    Going to try something different once more, post my public comments
    here before the meeting. Have to split this up because only allowed
    5,000 words per post. Doc word count says 2,139 words. See what this
    does. But, this will reach more than the RAC website will. Yep, server
    rejected it. VA punishes us by implying these are longer than they are

    ———————–

    The RAC has increasingly tried to buck the system this last year. Not be held to VA dogma that they can ONLY listen to research proposals. Enough criticism both outside the committee and within the committee sparked options such as the VES. But, it is not enough given the lack of representation in this arena at the top levels. Oh no, its very conditional. We have members of our ranks that spend more time running interference than handing materials to VA leadership. So there is a highly biased channel here that isnt doing its job. The end result is conditions of PL 105-368 that are not current with 2024 that allow VA to capitalize on the heavily biased research aspect, leaving out true healthcare and benefits concerns from public moderation of VA leadership. The end result is stagnation of many aspect including the failed 3.317 which hangs on the antiquated concept Undiagnosed Illness. VA had countered this long ago by forcing doctors to diagnose any GWI vet, even if its wrong. So the law really needs to change to service connect to time and location such as the PACT act does for OIF.

    PL 105-368 original intent in 1989 was to produce specialty clinics for gulf war veterans to help us diagnose and support us. VA changed this in 2002 to the War Related Illness and Injury Center that they shaped into a one time visit clinic for all eras. It has not served our needs and over time didnt even allow walkins any more. This was not the intent of these. Having used this myself over 22 years I had to twist and force my way in to find small answers. What was kind and polite in 2005 at its grand opening in DC VAMC is now tightly closed door programs focusing on psychiatric research. My last run with them in 2022 was very disappointing even trying to get labs done. Because rather than travel there, you do it from your own VAMC. Nothing cutting edge about them. Leaning on Somatic medicine disciplines which is deployment healths 1995 agenda – not the vets.

    Another problem with VA is that ist removed just about everything else PL 105-368 outlined such as public annual reports to congress, specific newsletters, outreach, specific reports such as GWVIS, and as of 2012 got rid of programs like the GWI Spouse and Children registry to ignore them to. At every turn VA has taken away. Till 2024 its totally demonized GWI concerns and ignores even the RAC with a certain degree of malice. As I found out from the September 2023 meeting when I confronted the Sec of VA Denis McDonough – he is most certainly not sincere about dialogue, outreach, or follow up. Blew me off and ignored me ever since. That is one of 18 emails since 2022 Ive written to him that VA has responded in every but directly from him.

    Now we have the added pressure of the current PACT act being non-responsive to Gulf war vets. Its timed such that only veterans after 2003 warrant attention. VA capitalized on its loopholes, and has been issuing zero percent ratings in mass. But, Gulf war vets do not qualify for the bulk of the PACT act other than its terminal parts. Ive tried since day 1 and found it severely limited to things that would not aid my VA present rating. PACT act will eventually be amended, but for now VA knows it fails Gulf war vets and wants to pretend all is well. It excludes us from 1991.

    Ive contacted the Chair of the Senate VA office and outlined much of this to them. This last time was a 30 minute conversation of the last 3 years in quick summary. I had said in a news article in Jan 2023 that the PACT act is filled with loopholes. That a year later we would see the denial rate, and how many would get a zero rating. I was ignored. Still am. But, Im not wrong. So it will take time, even more years to resolve this largely because of snide egos of mediocre careers in our arena keeping people like me away from the executive branch. To go on playing doctor but keeping the patients from being able to complain in mass, in unison.

    Part 2 ………………

  9. Kirt Love April 20, 2024 at 10:41 - Reply

    Going to try something different once more, post my public comments
    here before the meeting. Have to split this up because only allowed
    5,000 words per post. Doc word count says 2,139 words. See what this
    does. But, this will reach more than the RAC website will. Yep, server
    rejected it. VA punishes us by implying these are longer than they are

    ———————–

    Dear Chairman, committee members, concerned parties

    Granted this is a subcommittee meeting here in Arizona, that does not diminish the long term urgency among the veterans such as myself to finding answers to GWI health problems. Due to technicalities and circumstances the last decade these waters have gotten muddied, and with that a certain loss of direction as well as urgency to find answers.

    So verterans such as myself have to set personal goals to move this committee along, as well as VA, DOD, CDC, NIH, DODSR, and many others to the center lane. In our circles the problems are still quite two fold. Healthcare and benefits. Yours being research of sorts outlined by a very antiquated and stagnant law PL 105-368 deadlocked in 1998. It does not change to keep pace with the times, and so its not pushing the RAC to do so either. Certainly not the WRIISC or other elements. So we keep circling back to aging constructs hoping to make progress rather than see they have become circular arguments unable to change VA protocol for 22 years. As 8 secretaries of VA never acted on one recommendation.
    The law itself relies of executive authority which has not been impartial. Highly biased.

    This leaves vets such as myself two jobs. Push for medical evidence we have to create, and apply it to our lives while trying to work with VBA at some point for a meaningful settlement. This relies on collection of hard line evidence in a consecutive pattern over 6 months towards ICD of note or worth to either. VA is stalling this decade after decade on two fronts. Because after 33 years the final answers in Gulf war medical issues fall to genetic analysis, and physical body tissues that would store toxic compounds long term. Microscopic molecular medicine.

    To reach this, VA will have to change the very nature of how it does business on a annual basis with these veterans to produce logical data in there defense. First method is to strike a bargain with the DODSR to procure viable HIV blood samples from 1989 to have them gene amplified, multiplexed, and sequenced for analysis. Then a current blood sample taken now to do the same. Compare the two to see what changed over that period. Granted time added to the telemeres so there will be trash added that will be random noise. The end goal are the altered segments interfering with normal day to day life, such as metabolic response and lipid mobilization. Mitochondria, dynein proteins, lysosomes, and such are not maintaining normal homeothermic values due to slight decrease in functionality. Leading to slight decrease in body temp and so on. This is a game of subtly as these are not extreme values that blood labs would show as clear signs.

    The second option is tissue resection of the adipose fatty tissue for mass spectrometer analysis for foreign properties dormant with then cells. VA is not collecting tissue samples of this kind because its considered invasive. So VA needs to rethink medical due process by creating a specialty clinic that deals in this very thing. A Toxic Exposure Pathology Center that does living autopsies that would help medical research and the veterans procure hard medical evidence. There are many “forever compounds” we run into in life. Starting with DDT sprayed openly in the 60’s. There is a good chance that some of this adipose tissue carries the battle scars of 1991 in foreign substances retained. Enough so that a trend would surface to a unique casual agent related to the war rather than general population.

    Ive tried to reach a deal with the DODSR to get my blood sample, and get it seqeunced. As Ive found out. No matter what channels I approach them, they do not respond. This means DOD does not want me to do this. 22 years I have been fighting to get this done, and to endless vague opposition. So Im asking the RAC step in to ask DODSR to build a gateway to access and process these samples. You had them present to you September 2023, and they seemed interested in this work as did DARPA. Im prepared to pay out of my pocket to get both pre an post samples processed. About $1,200.

    Part 1 ………………

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