A Guide Specializing in the “Toxic effects” of todays battle field for all veterans who was deployed since August 1990.
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Information and support for those involved in and transformed by today's toxic wars.
Updated November 2022
Why this site?
We work to help veterans and their family understand thing about their claim on toxic exposures in the combat operations that started on August 2, 1990. These claims fall under different sections of Title 38 Code of Federal Regulation (38 CFR) :
§ 3.317 Compensation for certain disabilities occurring in Persian Gulf veterans.
§ 3.318 Presumptive service connection for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
§ 3.320 Claims based on exposure to fine particulate matter
§1117. Compensation for disabilities occurring in Persian Gulf War veterans. dated after Aug. 10, 2022, 136 Stat. 1783. Also 38 U.S. Code § 1118 - Presumptions of service connection for illnesses associated with service in the Persian Gulf during the Persian Gulf War.
38 U.S. Code § 1119 - Presumptions of toxic exposure
Purpose of this Guide
When people are injured on-the-job in civilian work, their employers may pay for related medical treatment and provide compensation. If you are a veteran with injuries or disabilities incurred in the line of duty, you have earned the right to medical treatment and compensation for conditions connected to your service. The VA provides this care and compensation after you are discharged.
Todays war injuries like burn pit and other toxins, undiagnosed illnes (UI), Chronic Multi-Symptom Illness (CMI) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are difficult to diagnose. The illness affecting the 1990-91 Gulf War veterans was not recognized by the scientific and medical communities for several years after the events that caused it. The enactmetment of the PACT Act rightfully adds more more veterans who deployed in outer toxic areras to be covered under the law from those same types of exposure and it added more presumptive illness. The 2017 guide needs a lot of changes as laws have changed on how to do claims, presumptive illness and the forms on how you appeal claims. Feel free to get with us if you need help.
If you are an illness or you are an injured veteran, this is your Guide to understanding Undiagnosed Illness (UDX) and medically unexplained CMI's], Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Burn pit, and PTSD. This guide focuses on what you need to know in order to file a claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for disability compensation benefits you have earned as a result of your injury during your service.
Information on technical research was removed in order to focus on what you need to file a claim or to get help and support. The research is found on The Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses site and on the National Institute of Health (NIH) and Center for Disease control (CDC) sites. If you ever use any research in your claim, it cannot be from a pilot study. Unfortunately, most all of the CDMRP studies are pilot studies and cannot be used; the same is true for non-human studies.
This updated guide is the result of months of reviewing changes in regulations and science regarding Gulf War Illness[1] and other conditions affecting veterans who served our country from 1990 to the present day, and turning that information into a reference that veterans and their advocates can use. It is a core resource in our work to improve claims, medical treatment, and quality of life for these injured veterans. The list of veteran was expanded in the PACT Act and is found in 38 USC § 1117.
We would like to thanks the following individuals and groups for their contributions to this guide:
COL (Ret) George Webb helped review and proofread this guide, among his many contributions to the Veteran Information Network and the NGWRC.
William Ankenbauer, Jr., a retired service officer and Board member who provided invaluable insight and advice on how a veteran should develop his or her claim. He was one of the best service officers in Kansas that I trained with.
Val Bunker helped review and proofread this guide
Thank you one and all
Updated January, 2023
Distribution and Disclaimer
This guide is distributed freely to veterans, VA accredited VSO, Agents, lawyers.
Gulf War Illness is not something you can claim under 38 USC 1117, 38 CFR 3.317. GWI is only a term to describe the symptoms veterans have from their service in the Gulf War.
The contents of this guide are for informational purposes only. Every effort is made to achieve accuracy, but neither the Veteran Information Network or the National Gulf War Resource Center, Inc nor its principals assume responsibility for the accuracy or veracity of the information contained herein due to the fact that the laws and regulations are always changing when it comes to veterans benefits.
We remand ALL veterans that they need to work closely with a Department of Veterans Affairs accredited claims representatives when filing their claims and the appeals on those caims. The regulation is always changing, and your VSO should be trained on those changes.
Do not let your claim get denied due to some bad advice given by any unaccredited representatives, Facebook "friends" or any of these "pay to help" services at are not accredited representatives.
Google "VA accredited representatives" to find an accredited VSO, agent or lawyer. If they are not on the VA list of accredited representatives do not get help from them!!!!
It is very hard to fix errors in your claim once the decision is made, so use this guide only with your trained VA accredited representatives. If you are planning to start a new claim or planning to reopen a claim, you need to go to the section in "Intent to File" and get this done before doing anything else.
Thank you one and all,
James Bunker
President