THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF OPERATION DESERT-STORM ON THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS OF US-ARMY-RESERVE AND NATIONAL-GUARD VETERANS

This study assessed factors related to the long-term psychological hea lth of a sample of U.S. Army National Guard and Reserve Unit veterans who served during Operation Desert Storm (ODS). In the analysis, gener al distress symptom measures were obtained and comparisons made from s oldiers who deployed to Germany, the Persian Gulf region, and througho ut the United States, with soldiers who did not deploy. Elevated sympt om levels were found for veterans of the Persian Gulf that could not b e explained by variance attributed to demographics, or current life st ress events. Reported exposure and the degree of current concern due t o petrochemical fires in Kuwait were found to be significantly related to elevated symptom measures beyond the effect of combat-zone-related stresses. These findings suggest that a subset of Persian Gulf reserv e veterans continue to have elevated revels of distress that are relat ed to oil fire exposure.