Anthony Hardie; Gulf War Veteran, GWIRP Integration Panel Member

I'm a consumer reviewer on the Gulf War research program. I'm myself a Gulf War veteran and that's what got me into veterans' issues in the first place. And I've had health issues since my service in the Gulf. It first began with lung issues and fatigue issues and progressed from there, and now I'm one of just 200,000 Gulf War veterans who are having pretty significant health issues related to their service.

Gulf War Illness is a chronic multisymptom illness with debilitating chronic fatigue, chronic widespread pain, immune dysfunction, neurological issues; many have skin rashes, gastrointestinal issues, chronic diarrhea, and so on. And up to the present, many of these veterans have been treated symptomatically and if you can imagine treating a disease where you're never getting at the underlying cause, you're only just trying to ameliorate the symptoms. It's been a very difficult situation for again a couple hundred thousand Gulf War veterans.

The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs is really a goal-oriented scientific program oriented toward making a difference for people who are suffering now due to their military service. It begins with a focus on a mission and a vision unlike the other programs in other federal agencies.

Our vision this year is about improving the health and lives of ill Gulf War veterans. And while that certainly makes sense, that's profound in that it's driving what the research focus is; whereas in other federal agencies that have been conducting research, it's been simply initiated by investigators pursuing areas they thought were important and then research portfolio specialists really sort of deciding what research got funded.

This program is perhaps unique in that it's directly focused on a direct need identified by Congress from among congressional constituents. It's a fascinating process; I'm a non-scientist and the two-tiered process has been really fascinating, beginning first with the vision setting statement which really kicks off this year-long review process by an entire panel of scientists from many different backgrounds and consumer reviewers-in essence people who are suffering from the illness themselves or family members who have an intimate knowledge and are able to help to guide it. And so all along the entire process, the scientists help keep things on the scientific track; the consumer reviewers help to keep things on track with what's really going to make a difference in the lives of those who are suffering from Gulf War Illness.

My very first meeting I was deeply impressed by how seriously the scientists took the input of the consumer reviewer on the panel, with the fact that consumer reviewers are integrated into all of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs and the fact that they're taken seriously really gives hope to those who are affected by the illness themselves.

As we understand it now, Gulf War Illness is a disease of the brain but it's a disease that spans multiple body systems leading to neurological and immunological dysfunction. But we don't yet have a solid understanding of then the etiology and the mechanisms underlying the disease. It's especially important that scientists with an interest in interdisciplinary work get involved. There's so much that science can do to help unlock the secrets of Gulf War Illness that will help not just those who are ill today but will be able to make a difference for future generations of veterans as well, who have similar kinds of exposures to what we had in the 1991 Gulf War. The high-risk, high-gain concepts are an integral part of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program in that we're trying to make a difference not just 50 or 100 years or even 25 years from now. We're trying to make a difference in the very near future for those who are suffering from Gulf War Illness. And that's an extremely impressive component of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program.