The Gulf War Story
What we know

Operations Desert Shield/ Desert Storm Timeline

The timeline shows the major events of the United States' involvement in the United Nations' action to liberate the nation of Kuwait from occupying Iraqi forces.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURES
The Potential for Causing Gulf War Illnesses

We are all exposed to chemicals in the air we breathe and in the food and water we consume every day. Some of these chemicals are man-made while others occur in nature. This summary concerns the reports we have published about our investigations into environmental and occupational exposures during the Gulf War.

Scud Missile Attacks and Inhibited Red Fuming Nitric Acid

Iraq began launching Scud missiles at Israel and Coalition forces soon after the Coalition's Gulf War air campaign began on January 17, 1991. An unexpected hazard in the Kuwait theater of operations was exposure to a highly corrosive oxidizer called inhibited red fuming nitric acid that was used in a rocket propellant for Iraq's Scud missiles. This is a summary of our reports on Scud missile attacks and red fuming nitric acid.

Medical Issues Relating to Symptoms Among Gulf War Veterans

Many Gulf War veterans have experienced a variety of physical symptoms and illnesses in the years since the Gulf War. Since June 1995 the Department of Defense has been investigating incidents and circumstances during the war that might be related to veterans’ symptoms. This is a summary of the information gathered during investigations into vaccines, medical recordkeeping, and other medical issues related to symptoms among Gulf War veterans.