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Who is a Veteran?
The term “Veteran” is defined in Title 38 of the United States Code as “a person who served in the active military, naval, air, or space service, and who was dismissed or released there under terms other than dishonorable.”
Veteran status is assessed by Veterans Affairs (VA) based on a review of a person’s military service record.
Who is an Iraq Veteran?
An Iraq war Veteran refers to a person who served in the military on active duty (as defined in section 101 of title 38) for more than 180 consecutive days during any part of the US military operations in Iraq.
Iraq Veterans – The First Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War, or Gulf War, began on August 2, 1990, it continued until February 28 of the following year. Troops from the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, France, and Kuwait were all active in the war against Iraq. More than 55,000 individuals lost their lives in the conflict, the majority of whom were Iraqi citizens. More than 75,000 additional soldiers were injured.
Desert Shield
Operation Desert Shield, the first stage of the Gulf War, was a defensive operation. After Iraq invaded Kuwait, many feared that the country would move on to Saudi Arabia. Due to Saudi Arabia’s proximity to Kuwait’s oil reserves, Saddam Hussein might have been able to seize a sizable portion of the world’s supply of oil.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the USS Independence, as well as the USS Missouri and USS Wisconsin, were promptly ordered to the Persian Gulf. More than 40 F-15 fighter jets from the 1 FW at Langley Air Force Base were also dispatched, along with two Air National Guard units from the states of New York and South Carolina.
Desert Storm
An aggressive combat effort against Iraq was codenamed Operation Desert Storm. It began on January 17th, 1991, and ended on February 28th, 1991, for a total of 42 days. Nearly 1,000 metric tons of bombs were unleashed on Iraq during the airborne assault by the United States.
The purpose of Operation Desert Storm was to undermine Iraq’s military and bring down its defenses by destroying its infrastructure. President Bush announced a truce on February 28, 1991, after the initial campaign was judged a success. However, the massive destruction of Iraqi property sowed a seed of rage that later sparked the second Gulf War.
Iraq Veterans – Post 9-11 Gulf Wars
Iraqi Freedom
After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the United States started a new Middle East offensive. Military emphasis soon shifted from al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden to Iraq and Saddam Hussein throughout this war. Iraq may have nuclear weapons, President Bush had openly said on many occasions.
On March 20, 2003, 248,000 American forces left Kuwait and entered Iraq. Iraqi residents were promised a representative democracy as a result of this campaign, which was dubbed an “assault on terrorism” in the country. Operation Iraqi Freedom lasted until September 1, 2010 despite the completion of the original assault on April 9, 2003.
New Dawn
Operation New Dawn replaced Operation Iraqi Freedom, which the United States declared on February 17, 2010. The United States began reducing its combat presence in Iraq in August 2010. Most U.S. combat battalions left Iraq on August 19, 2010, and returned to Kuwait on August 20, 2010.
Until the end of 2011, the military was still removing soldiers from Iraq. On October 21st, 2011, Obama announced that all U.S. forces will be withdrawn from Iraq by the end of 2011. As of December 18, 2011, all U.S. soldiers in Iraq were out of the country, ending a war that had been raging since 2003.
Gulf War Syndrome Issues
For Gulf War Veterans, Gulf War Syndrome is one of the most frequent ailments. The phrase “Gulf War Syndrome” encompasses a wide range of sometimes unexplainable symptoms that affect Gulf War Veterans.
It is possible to suffer from Gulf War Syndrome symptoms such as tiredness, skin rashes, and even diarrhea. Iraq Veterans may also suffer from persistent pain in their musculoskeletal or skeletal systems. PTSD, Alzheimer’s disease, and other mental health issues might affect certain Veterans.
The identification of many of these symptoms is difficult for both the Veteran and their doctor since they lie outside of the standard medical domain. Medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom diseases, or MUCMIs, as they are called, are a group of ailments that have symptoms but no known cause.
Thus, if an Iraq Veteran is diagnosed with any of the following conditions, the VA will automatically assume that their service in the Gulf War is to blame:
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic exhaustion
- IBS, dyspepsia, and functional abdominal pain syndrome
- Other disorders that may have gone unnoticed, such as heart disease, joint and muscular discomfort, and migraines
Iraq War Burn Pit Syndrome
Military sites in the Gulf region were littered with burn pits due to operations like Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn. Metal, chemicals, and even human excrement were burned in these holes. There are many medical issues that have been linked to burn pit exposure, which is not surprising.
Asthma, sleep apnea, heart disease, and numerous forms of cancer are just a few of the many illnesses that have been linked to burn pits. In addition to breathing difficulties, headaches and vomiting, unexplained weight loss, and skin lesions, these pits are linked to ulcers on the skin.
If you can show a link to your Iraq military service, you may be eligible for VA disability compensation for any of these conditions.
How To Get Your CRSC Pay and Disability Benefit From the VA?
There are three essential requirements that must be met to be eligible for Iraq CRSC and VA disability payments.
- The first step is to get an official diagnosis from a VA-approved doctor. You can usually get by with a typical licensed medical professional such as your family doctor or any other type of licensed medical practitioner.
- The diagnosis must be accompanied by evidence of a specific occurrence or combination of circumstances in your military service that might have contributed to the development of your illness. In most of the circumstances we’ve outlined, your participation in the Gulf War will count as a service incurrence for you.
- The ailment must be linked to your military service unless it is any one of the above-mentioned presumptive conditions.
Veteran’s Disability Info
If you participated in any of the Gulf Wars, you may be entitled to compensation from the Veterans Administration.
Many Veterans have benefited from our assistance with their VA disability claims and appeals. We are here to help you with your VA disability appeal. Contact us online or at 888.878.9350 to get started.