United States Department of Defense

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE'S STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO THE PRESIDENTIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPORT

President Clinton and I have discussed the Pentagon's response to Gulf War illnesses on several occasions and I have assured him that the Department of Defense is committed to doing everything possible to explain and treat Gulf War illnesses and to improve health care for the men and women in the military.

Last week we announced aspects of our new Force Medical Protection Plan that will improve health care and reduce health risks for our troops.

We will use the recommendations in the PAC report, along with the guidance of Senator Rudman and others on his board, to help direct our continuing investigation into the illnesses reported by Gulf War veterans, as well as our efforts to improve medical care.