01:00 AM EST on Monday, August 1, 2005

The Defense Department is sending letters again to thousands of Gulf War veterans exposed to low levels of chemical agents contained in munitions destroyed at a weapons depot in Khamisiyah, Iraq, in March 1991, according to the American Forces Press Service.

A study released last week by the Institute of Medicine in Washington, D.C., concluded that veterans possibly exposed at that depot appear to have a higher risk for brain-cancer death than other veterans. But the study's authors said more research was needed to confirm their findings.

This letter is the third one sent by the Defense Department to update Gulf War veterans possibly exposed, with previous letters having been sent in 1997 and 2000.

Dr. Michael E. Kilpatrick, the department's deputy director for deployment health support, said the purpose of the latest letter was to notify veterans whose units were in the possible hazard areas about the study, and to remind them of medical services the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs can provide.

He said the letter would not recommend that veterans take any specific action, but would inform them on what to do if they felt they might be affected. "If they feel fine, they don't need to do anything," he said. "We don't want them to get highly concerned about this study. It is a preliminary finding, and we will continue to investigate to better understand what this may or may not mean for their health."

Kilpatrick noted this was the first study finding a possible long-term health effect. "We do not have cause-and-effect relationship at this point," he said, "but we do want the veterans to know that this data is there, and we want them to know from us that we are committed to continuing the investigation to follow-up, because we are concerned about their health."

The Defense Department began the study in 1997 after it was learned that rockets and other munitions destroyed at Khamisiyah in 1991 contained the nerve agents sarin and cyclosarin. During the study, Kilpatrick said, IOM researchers compared the causes of death in a group of 100,487 possibly exposed Army Gulf War veterans with those among 224,980 Army Gulf War veterans who were not exposed to nerve agents released during the demolitions.

He said the study found no difference in overall mortality or all cancer mortality. Still, the study showed that exposed veterans were about twice as likely to have died from brain cancer as unexposed veterans, corresponding to roughly 12 excess deaths due to brain cancer among the 100,487 exposed veterans over a nine-year period.

Kilpatrick said that finding has puzzled researchers, because neither sarin nor cyclosarin is a known carcinogen. "Neither has been shown to cause cancer," he said. "It's too early to speculate as to what could cause the brain cancer among those in the study."

Kilpatrick said more research must be done before any conclusion can be drawn on whether chemical agents at the site can be linked to brain cancer among Gulf War veterans. He said he emphasized that the notifications were part of the Defense Department's commitment to keeping veterans informed about health issues related to their deployment.

For more information, visit the department's deployment health-support Web site at: www.pdhealth.mil/main.asp.

Eligibility for TDI may grow under new law for vets Members of the military, the Rhode Island National Guard or a reserve unit who served in a U.S.-declared combat operation may be eligible to receive Temporary Disability Insurance benefits as a result of a new law signed by Governor Carcieri on July 15.

The law changes the method by which monetary eligibility for TDI benefits is determined for these combat veterans. "The governor submitted the legislation because he felt strongly that individuals serving their country should not be disqualified from receiving benefits because their service time interrupted their normal employment," explained Department of Labor and Training Director Lita S. Orefice.

For all individuals who file a claim for TDI benefits, monetary eligibility for benefits is determined by using a certain period of earnings known as the base period, which consists of the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters of earnings before the date the disability began.

If an individual is determined to be monetarily ineligible because of insufficient base-period earnings, the law allows for the claim to be recalculated with an alternate base period using the last four completed calendar quarters of earnings before the date the disability began. The new law is retroactive to March 2, 2002.

Any individual who files a claim for TDI benefits after his or her release from active military service and who is monetarily ineligible for benefits using the existing base period or the alternate base period will have his or her claim redetermined using one of the following base periods:

The first four of the most recently completed five calendar quarters of earnings immediately preceding the first day the individual was called into state or federal active military service;

If the individual is monetarily ineligible using the above base period, the claim will be recalculated using the last four completed calendar quarters of earnings immediately preceding the first day the individual was called into state or federal active military service.

Individuals will be asked to provide a copy of their DD-214 or other comparable documentation indicating service in combat with their application. For more information or to download an application for benefits, visit the TDI website at www.dlt.ri.gov/tdi or phone (401) 462-8420.

Volunteers needed to help in tax-return preparation Do you like to help people, especially those in need at tax time? The Providence VA Medical Center needs you. Tax-preparer volunteers explain tax credits and deductions and help veterans complete their returns. If you have some basic skills and want to help, you can be a part of this program.

The Interval Revenue Service will provide free tax-law training, electronic filing, software training and all the materials needed to prepare basic income-tax returns. In return, volunteers are asked to give an average of two to four hours per week from February through April 15, 2006, at the VA Medical Center, 830 Chalkstone Ave., Providence.

For more information phone Gloria Mancuso, Voluntary Service program manager, at (401) 457-3002.

Veterans of Foreign Wars and Auxiliary Westerly's Amancio-Falcone-Gaccione Post 8955 and Auxiliary meet tonight at 6 p.m., followed by a picnic at the post home, 113 Beach St. On Saturday, the Past Department Presidents Club will have its annual picnic at 2 Arrow Drive, Westerly, at noon; for more information, phone Peggy at (401) 596-4452 and bring gifts for the social. Nelson-Mack-Narragansett Post 4651, in Cranston, will meet Sunday at 10 a.m. Gatchell Auxiliary 306 will host a bingo open to the public Sunday at the post home, 171 Fountain St., Pawtucket, starting at 1 p.m.; gift donations are welcomed.

Fleet Reserve Association Blackstone Valley Branch 132 gathers this evening at 7 at VFW Post 306, 171 Fountain St., Pawtucket.

Marine Corps League The Kent County Detachment will assemble Wednesday at VFW Post 449, Providence St., West Warwick, starting at 7 p.m.

Paralyzed Veterans of America The New England chapter will meet Wednesday at 1600 Providence Highway, Suite 101R, Walpole, Mass., at 10:30 a.m. For more information, phone (800) 660-1181 or go online to www.nepva.org.

Vietnam Veterans of America Jimmy Ray Memorial Chapter 818 will convene Thursday at the Lincoln Senior Center, 44 Chapel St., starting at 7 p.m. Chapter 325 will meet on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at American Legion Post 39, 1948 Kingstown Rd., Peace Dale.

American Legion Shields Post 43, Auxiliary and SAL, will install officers Friday at the Post home, 662 West Shore Rd., Warwick, at 7 p.m. Riverside Post 10, 830 Willet Ave., Riverside, will host a chicken barbecue Sunday starting at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $12.

The Retired Enlisted Association Narragansett Bay Chapter 79 will have a luncheon meeting to celebrate its 10th anniversary on Aug. 27 at noon at VFW Post 4487, 52 Underwood Lane, Middletown; tickets cost $12 and must be reserved by Friday. For more information, phone Tom O 1/4Connell at (401) 322-1567.

George W. Reilly can be reached at VeteransColumn [at] verizon.net or by writing to The Providence Journal, 75 Fountain St., Providence, R.I. 02902.