Gulf War Veterans Information
System
Report for November 2006
Department of Veterans Affairs 31dec2006
Note: Please refer to the original PDF a VA website http://www1.va.gov/rac-gwvi/docs/GWVIS_Nov2006.pdf
Department of Veterans Affairs
Gulf War Veterans Information System
November 2006
Release Date: December 31, 2006
Gulf War Veterans Information System November 2006
November 2006 GWVIS Report
Table of Contents
Section One .......................................1 GWVIS Report Introduction..........................1 Overview...........................................1 History and Partnership ...........................1 Preparation .......................................1 Categories ........................................2 Data Sources ......................................3 Limitations........................................3
Section Two .......................................5 November 2006 Reports..............................5
Section Three .....................................14 Glossary of Terms, Definitions, and Limitations ...14
Section One
GWVIS Report Introduction
Overview
The Gulf War Veterans Information System (GWVIS) provides the best available current data identifying the 6.6 million Gulf War service member population. The GWVIS reports monitor, in part, the service members’ use of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare and disability benefits.
GWVIS reports are distributed each quarter during the following months: March, June, September, and December.
History and Partnership
In 1997, VA’s Office of Policy, Planning, and Preparedness, working with the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), and other VA organizational elements, created the GWVIS reports to identify Gulf War service members and monitor, in part, their VBA compensation and pension benefit use.
VBA works to enhance GWVIS reports with several governmental partners, including: Department of Defense’s Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) and Deployment Health Support Directorate (DHSD), VHA, VA’s Office of Policy, Planning and Preparedness, VA’s Office of the General Counsel, VA’s Readjustment Counseling Service (RCS), and VBA’s Compensation and Pension Service (C&P Service).
GWVIS reports are consistent with the “Veterans Health Care Act of 1992” (Public Law 102-585) in identifying Gulf War service members and reporting on various aspects of their VA healthcare and benefit activity.
Preparation
VBA uses four steps to prepare the quarterly GWVIS reports:
1. Every three months, the DoD sends VBA an updated list identifying all current and prior military service members since the start of the Gulf War on August 2, 1990.
2. VBA compares DoD’s updated list of service members with VBA information systems.
3. VBA uses the results from the comparison to prepare reports about Gulf War veterans and their compensation and pension benefit use sorted by specific cohorts based on Gulf War deployment status.
4. VBA provides VHA a copy of the DoD data. VHA prepares the following reports for inclusions in the GWVIS Reports:
- Gulf War Readjustment Counseling Service – Vet Center Utilization
- Gulf War Service Member VHA Healthcare Enrollment by Priority Group
- Gulf War Mortality Data
Categories
GWVIS reports are prepared for all categories shown below. The following
describes how some
categories are combined to create other categories:
The Count for this category... Is the sum of these categories Total Era + Deployed Deployed Conflict + Theater Conflict Al Jubayl + Khamisiyah + Other Conflict
The following graph illustrates how GWVIS categories are combined in this report:
Data Sources
VBA uses data from the DoD and VA to prepare GWVIS reports. The list below
identifies the DoD and
VA organizational source, scheduled cycle dates, and specific file names.
DoD:
DMDC extract, dated October 31, 2006:
• Active Duty Master File
• Active Duty Loss File
• Reserve Components Common Personnel
Data System
• Operation Desert Shield/Storm Files
• Operation Mission/Contingency Files
DHSD:
• Khamisiyah Master File, dated March
2006
• Al Jubayl Master File, dated August
2005
VA:
VBA:
• Beneficiary Identification and Records
Locator Subsystem (BIRLS), dated October 2006
• Compensation and Pension Master Record
(CPMR), dated October 2006
• Pending Issue File (PIF), dated
October 31, 2006
VHA:
• VHA Gulf War Veteran Mortality Study,
one time study prepared in 2001
• VHA Patient Treatment Files and
Outpatient Care Files; Report removed November 2006
• VHA Healthcare Enrollment Files, dated
April 2006
• Readjustment Counseling Service -Vet
Center (RCSVC) Utilization File, dated March 9, 2006.
Limitations
There are twelve limitations to the GWVIS report.
- GWVIS reports do not contain information about individual veterans.
- GWVIS reports do not provide information on how claims are adjudicated. Questions raised on this matter should be referred to VBA’s C&P Service.
- GWVIS reports do not cite statutes or regulations for terms and definitions. Questions about compensation and pension terms and definitions should be referred to C&P Service. Questions about any healthcare terms and definitions should be referred to VHA. The terms and definitions used in this document are intended for this report only, and they should not be relied upon for any other purpose, such as the presentation of claims for VA benefits.
- Unless otherwise noted, this report provides current counts from the data sources listed. This report does not contain cumulative counts of C&P benefit use.
- GWVIS reports do not distinguish between a veteran and a “civilian veteran.” Some veterans counted in the GWVIS report may currently be on active duty due to re-enlistment to active duty or due to activation from the Reserve Forces to active duty. In contrast, “civilian veterans,” as defined by the Census Bureau and in VA’s official counts, are those no longer on active duty.
- The GWVIS report differs from existing VBA Reports Control Symbol (RCS) and Computer Output Identification Number (COIN) reports. The GWVIS report identifies all veterans with military service on or after August 2, 1990. In contrast, the COIN and RCS reports sort veterans into only one period of military service, such as Vietnam Era, Peacetime, or Gulf War. COIN and RCS reports contain lower counts of Gulf War veterans because some veterans of the Gulf War period who served prior to August 1990 have multiple periods of military service. These veterans may be counted in the COIN and RCS reports under another period of military service.
- VA works closely with DoD to identify service members recently deployed to Southwest Asia as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and/or Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). Data about these service members provided by DoD to VBA remains incomplete, and the data may be delayed while DoD updates their computer system. VA will release the data as soon as it becomes available.
- This report contains “Gulf War Mortality Data.” Please contact VHA’s Office of Public Health and Environmental Hazards for more information regarding Gulf War mortality data. The GWVIS statistical reports, containing death counts, do not constitute a Gulf War veteran mortality study.
- Some of the veterans identified in this report had prior active military service. Therefore, not all of the claims counted in this report were incurred during the Gulf War period or deployment to Southwest Asia. VBA’s computer systems do not attribute each of a veteran’s disabilities to a specific period of service or deployment.
- The report, “Gulf War Readjustment Counseling Service -Vet Center Utilization,” contains counts of unique veterans who sought or are using RCSVC services. The counts do not constitute a VA study of war zone veterans.
- The report, “Gulf War Service Member VHA Healthcare Enrollment by Priority Group,” is limited to counts of Gulf War service members’ VHA healthcare enrollment by priority group. VA services and treatment available to enrolled veterans generally are not based on priority groups.
- This report gathered information only from the Benefits Delivery Network (BDN). Therefore, a small number (less than 8,000) of new veteran records processed in the VBA corporate environment are excluded from this report. Only VBA-related tables are effected by the data exclusion.
Section Two
November 2006 Reports
Service Member Statistics .......................................................... 6 Compensation and Pension (C&P) Statistics........................................... 7 Undiagnosed Illness (UDX) C&P Statistics ........................................... 8 Al Jubayl and Khamisiyah C&P Statistics ............................................ 9 Al Jubayl and Khamisiyah UDX C&P Statistics........................................ 10 Gulf War Readjustment Counseling Service – Vet Center Utilization (RCSVC) ......... 11 Gulf War Service Member VHA Healthcare Enrollment by Priority Group ............... 12 Gulf War Mortality Data............................................................ 13
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Service Member Statistics
November 2006
Category Conflict Theater Deployed Era Total Service Members 696,842 432,498 1,129,340 5,549,399 6,678,739 Service Member Separations 629,037 342,447 971,484 4,815,256 5,786,740 Active Duty Separations 513,545 335,725 849,270 3,044,645 3,893,915 Activated Reserve Forces Separations 115,492 6,722 122,214 323,237 445,451 Non-Activated Reserve Forces Separations 0 0 0 1,447,374 1,447,374 Non-Activated Reserve Forces, Service-Connected1 0 0 0 129,325 129,325 Veteran Deaths2 12,902 4,093 16,995 52,752 69,747 Estimated Living Veterans 616,135 338,354 954,489 3,444,455 4,398,944
Interpreting GWVIS Categories
The Count for this category: Is the sum of: And: Total Deployed Era Deployed Conflict Theater
______________________________________
1. VBA identified 129,325 Non-Activated Reservists who are service-connected or pensioners as "veterans." VBA
identified 8,078 deaths among the 129,325. The 8,078 deaths are included in the count for Deaths reported under "Era." The
113,570 remaining living veterans are included in the count of "Estimated Living Veterans" reported under "Era."2 These counts reflect raw data that has not been subjected to any statistical analysis nor has it been adjusted in any way to
make it a mortality study. There has been no adjustment to account for age, gender, race, and other items required for a valid
mortality study. In addition, the data will not reflect deaths that occurred after October 2006. The use of these data to draw
conclusions regarding mortality rates will result in inaccurate conclusions. For analysis of Gulf War veteran mortality, see
"Mortality among US Veterans of the Persian Gulf War: 7-Year Follow-up, "Han K. Kang and Tim A. Bullman, American
Journal of Epidemiology, 2001,154(5): 399-405.
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Compensation and Pension Statistics
November 2006
Category Conflict Theater Deployed Era Total Service Members 696,842 432,498 1,129,340 5,549,399 6,678,739 Estimated Living Veterans 616,135 338,354 954,489 3,444,455 4,398,944 Claims Filed 275,485 124,286 399,771 1,183,505 1,583,276 Claims Processed 239,367 108,440 347,807 1,017,350 1,365,157 C&P Benefit Granted 209,994 99,969 309,963 892,729 1,202,692 Claims Granted Service Connection 208,728 99,709 308,437 888,958 1,197,395 Claims Denied Service Connection 30,639 8,731 39,370 128,392 167,762 Claims Pending 36,118 15,846 51,964 166,155 218,119 Service-Connected Ten Percent (10%) or Greater, 158,458 78,777 237,235 671,612 908,847 Receiving Compensation or Pension. Service-Connected Zero Percent (0%), Receiving 3,318 1,638 4,956 13,204 18,160 Compensation or Pension Service-Connected Ten Percent (10%) or Greater, 6,344 1,973 8,317 30,693 39,010 No Compensation or Pension Service-Connected Zero Percent (0%), 40,608 17,321 57,929 173,449 231,378 No Compensation or Pension Non-Service Connected, Receiving Pension 1,266 260 1,526 3,771 5,297 Non-Service Connected, No Pension 29,373 8,471 37,844 124,621 162,465
Interpreting GWVIS Categories
The Count for this category: Is the sum of: And: Total Deployed Era Deployed Conflict Theater
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Undiagnosed Illness (UDX)
Compensation and Pension Statistics
November 2006
Category Conflict Theater Deployed Era Total Service Members 696,842 432,498 1,129,340 5,549,399 6,678,739 Estimated Living Veterans 616,135 338,354 954,489 3,444,455 4,398,944 Undiagnosed Illness (UDX), Claims Processed 13,034 1,818 14,852 N/A 14,852 UDX, Claims Granted Service Connection 3,377 347 3,724 N/A 3,724 UDX, Claims Denied Service Connection 9,657 1,471 11,128 N/A 11,128 UDX, Service-Connected Ten Percent (10%) or 2,883 296 3,179 N/A 3,179 Greater, Receiving Compensation or Pension UDX, Service-Connected Zero Percent (0%), 207 29 236 N/A 236 Receiving Compensation or Pension UDX, Service-Connected Ten Percent (10%) or 129 9 138 N/A 138 Greater, No Compensation or Pension UDX, Service-Connected Zero Percent (0%), No 158 13 171 N/A 171 Compensation or Pension UDX, Nonservice-Connected, Receiving 3,904 714 4,618 N/A 4,618 Compensation or Pension UDX, Nonservice-Connected, No Pension 5,753 757 6,510 N/A 6,510
Interpreting GWVIS Categories
The Count for this category: Is the sum of: And: Total Deployed Era Deployed Conflict Theater
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Al Jubayl and Khamisiyah
Compensation and Pension Statistics
November 2006
Other Category Al Jubayl Khamisiyah1 Conflict Conflict Service Members 1,334 145,456 550,052 696,842 Estimated Living Veterans 1,201 129,604 485,330 616,135 Veteran Deaths 36 3,038 9,828 12,902 Claims Filed 475 68,330 206,680 275,485 Claims Processed 424 58,780 180,163 239,367 C&P Benefit Granted 347 50,796 158,851 209,994 Claims Granted Service Connection 346 50,477 157,905 208,728 Claims Denied Service Connection 78 8,303 22,258 30,639 Claims Pending 51 9,550 26,517 36,118 Service-Connected Ten Percent (10%) or Greater, 259 37,957 120,242 158,458 Receiving Compensation or Pension. Service-Connected Zero Percent (0%), Receiving 6 687 2,625 3,318 Compensation or Pension Service-Connected Ten Percent (10%) or Greater, 12 1,769 4,563 6,344 No Compensation or Pension Service-Connected Zero Percent (0%), No 69 10,064 30,475 40,608 Compensation or Pension Non-Service Connected, Receiving Pension 1 319 946 1,266 Non-Service Connected, No Pension 77 7,984 21,313 29,373
1The total number of service members ever identified by DoD with possible low-level chemical warfare agent exposure
serving in units in the hazard areas at or near Khamisiyah, Iraq is 145,472 as of June 30, 2006. In this report, VBA displayed
compensation and pension statistics on 145,456 service members. VA and DoD have completed their fourth quarter 2006
review of service member records. However, there is a possibility of future changes, if needed, based on further review by
DoD.
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Al Jubayl and Khamisiyah
Undiagnosed Illness (UDX)
Compensation and Pension Statistics
November 2006
Other Category Al Jubayl Khamisiyah1 Conflict Conflict Service Members 1,334 145,456 550,052 696,842 Estimated Living Veterans 1,201 129,604 485,330 616,135 Veteran Deaths 36 3,038 9,828 12,902 Undiagnosed Illness (UDX), Claims Processed 66 4,389 8,579 13,034 UDX, Claims Granted Service Connection 20 1,174 2,183 3,377 UDX, Claims Denied Service Connection 46 3,215 6,396 9,657 UDX, Service-Connected Ten Percent (10%) or Greater, 18 1,010 1,855 2,883 Receiving Compensation or Pension UDX, Service-Connected Zero Percent (0%), Receiving 0 63 144 207 Compensation or Pension UDX, Service-Connected Ten Percent (10%) or Greater, 1 51 77 129 No Compensation or Pension UDX, Service-Connected Zero Percent (0%), No 1 50 107 158 Compensation or Pension UDX, Nonservice-Connected, Receiving Compensation 10 1,287 2,607 3,904 or Pension UDX, Nonservice-Connected, No Pension 36 1,928 3,789 5,753
1The total number of service members ever identified by DoD with possible low-level chemical warfare agent exposure
serving in units in the hazard areas at or near Khamisiyah, Iraq is 145,472 as of June 30, 2006. In this report, VBA displayed
compensation and pension statistics on 145,456 service members. VA and DoD have completed their fourth quarter 2006
review of service member records. However, there is a possibility of future changes, if needed, based on further review by
DoD.
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Gulf War Readjustment Counseling Service –
Vet Center Benefit Utilization3
The tables below provide counts of unique Gulf War veterans using Readjustment Counseling Service – Vet Center (RCSVC) as of March 2006. 4
Category Conflict Theater Deployed Era Total Service Members 696,842 432,498 1,129,340 5,393,074 6,522,414 Estimated Living Veterans 611,104 332,366 943,470 3,324,020 4,267,490 Count of Unique Veterans Using Vet Centers5 74,319 28,256 102,575 243,990 346,565
Other
Category Al Jubayl Khamisiyah Conflict Conflict
Service Members 1,334 145,456 550,052 696,842
Estimated Living Veterans 1,194 128,831 481,079 611,104
Count of Unique Veterans Using Vet Centers 137 17,096 57,086 74,319
Interpreting GWVIS Categories
The Count for this category: Is the sum of: And: Total Deployed Era Deployed Conflict Theater
3 The report, “Gulf War Readjustment Counseling Service – Vet Center Benefit Utilization” contains counts of unique
veterans who sought or are using RCSVC services. The counts do not constitute a VA study of war zone veterans. For
further information about RCSVC, please go to: http://www.va.gov/rcs/4 The Readjustment Counseling Service, effective with the August 2005 report, used a new data matching methodology,
which ensured a more reliable result.5 The Readjustment Counseling Service Vet Centers were created through legislation passed by Congress. Vet Centers
provide a continuum of care during the post-war adjustment from military to civilian life for veterans (and family members)
in or near their local communities. Key access links to community agencies, VA, and professional readjustment counseling,
community education, and outreach to special veteran populations are made available to war zone veterans through the Vet
Centers.
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Gulf War Service Member VHA Healthcare Enrollment by Priority Group6
The tables below show counts of Gulf War service members’ VHA healthcare enrollment by priority group, as of April 2006.
Category Conflict Theater Deployed Era Total Gulf War Service Members 696,842 432,498 1,129,340 5,549,399 6,678,739 Estimated Living Veterans 616,135 338,354 954,489 3,444,455 4,398,944 Enrollment Priority Group 1 39,053 15,246 54,299 138,001 192,300 Enrollment Priority Group 2 34,086 16,980 51,066 137,407 188,473 Enrollment Priority Group 3 55,062 26,239 81,301 242,595 323,896 Enrollment Priority Group 4 1,793 439 2,232 6,642 8,874 Enrollment Priority Group 5 45,819 24,318 70,137 262,686 332,823 Enrollment Priority Group 6 24,204 2,860 27,064 53,890 80,954 Enrollment Priority Group 7 1,965 953 2,918 11,402 14,320 Enrollment Priority Group 8 46,026 18,619 64,645 193,678 258,323 Total Enrollment 248,008 105,654 353,662 1,046,301 1,399,963
Interpreting GWVIS Categories
The Count for this category: Is the sum of: And: Total Deployed Era Deployed Conflict Theater
For definitions of VA’s eight enrollment priority groups, please see the Glossary of Terms, Definitions, and Limitations.
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Gulf War Mortality Data
1990 -1997
This report, supplied by VHA, shows death rates from 1990 to 1997 of US Gulf
War veterans deployed
to the Gulf War region before March 1, 1991 compared to non-Gulf War veterans
over the same period.
Gulf War Mortality Data
Non-Gulf
Gulf War Veterans War Veterans Ratio of Significance of
Veteran Number Death Number Death Death the ratio of death
Gender of Deaths Rate2 of Deaths Rate2 Rates3 rates4,5,6
Male 4,312 11.1 5,542 12.9 0.95 Not significant
Female 194 6.6 376 5.7 1.16 Not significant
1 This study compared the mortality among the 621,902 Gulf War veterans who served at least one day during Operations
Desert Shield and Desert Storm (those arriving in the Southwest Asia theater of operations after August 2, 1990, but
before March 1, 1991) to the mortality among 746,248 non-Gulf War veterans who served during this conflict but were
not deployed to this area, and includes Active Duty, and activated Reserve Forces.
The Southwest Asia theater of operations is as defined by DoD’s Defense Manpower Data Center.
Non-Gulf War veterans used for comparison in this study were service members who served during this period but did
not deploy to the Southwest Asia theater of operations, and includes Active Duty, and activated Reserve Forces (from
“Mortality among US Veterans of the Persian Gulf War: 7-Year Follow-up,” Kang, Han K., and Tim A. Bullman,
American Journal of Epidemiology, 2001, 154(5): 399-405).
This study by the Department of Veterans Affairs is still ongoing.2 Crude death rate for all causes of death, per 10,000 person years.
3 Death rate ratio comparing death rate of Gulf War veterans to the death rate of Non-Gulf War veterans, controlling for, race,
branch of service, unit component and marital status. A ratio of 1 indicates that the death rates are the same for the two
groups.4 Determination if the death rate ratio was statistically significantly different from 1. Differences are considered significant
when there is 95% confidence that the difference did not occur by chance.5 Although this study found no real difference between death rates among Gulf War and Non-Gulf War veterans, it found that
death rates for both groups were less than half of that found in their civilian counterparts.6 An increased death rate among Gulf War veterans from motor vehicle accidents found in an earlier VA study has
disappeared in this seven year follow up study.
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Section Three
Glossary of Terms, Definitions, and Limitations
This section provides the terms, definitions, and limitations used in the GWVIS report. Questions about terms and definitions should be referred to C&P Service or VHA, as appropriate. The terms and definitions in this document are intended for this report only, and they should not be relied upon for any other purpose, such as the presentation of claims for VA benefits.
Activated Reserve Forces Separations
Activated Reserve Forces Separations is a subset of Service Member
Separations. Activated Reserve
Forces Separations identifies only current and former activated Reserve Forces
personnel with a
discharge who were called to active duty on or after August 2, 1990, by the
Federal Government. All
Activated Reserve Forces are counted, regardless of:
• Length of enlistment
• Re-enlistment
• Character of service
• Death
Limitations: In some cases, DMDC cannot determine if a service member
enlisted directly into active
duty or if a service member was activated from the Reserve Forces. In those
cases, the service members
are counted under Active Duty Separations.
Active Duty Separations
Active Duty Separations is a subset of Service Member Separations. Active
Duty Separations identifies
current and former active duty personnel with a discharge and with service on or
after August 2, 1990.
All Active Duty Separations are counted, regardless of:
• Length of enlistment
• Re-enlistment
• Character of service
• Death
Limitations: In some cases, DMDC cannot determine if a service member
enlisted directly into active
duty or if a service member was activated from the Reserve Forces.
In those cases, the service members are counted under Active Duty Separations.
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Al Jubayl
Al Jubayl is a subset of the Conflict category. On or about January 19, 1991,
service members serving in
and around Al Jubayl, Saudi Arabia reported an incident involving a “loud
noise,” “bright flash,” and
possible “Iraqi chemical warfare agent attack.” There are 1,334 service
members identified by the DoD
as having served in and around the port city of Al Jubayl on January 19, 1991.
DoD concludes that the
chemical attack was “unlikely.” Additional information regarding events at
or near Al Jubayl can be
viewed at DoD’s web site: http://www.deploymentlink.osd.mil
Claims Denied Service Connection
A veteran’s claim is denied when VA determines none of the veteran’s conditions meet eligibility requirements for service connection under VA statutes and regulations. This denial is called “Nonservice-Connected,” or “NSC.” Claims Denied Service Connection is the sum of Nonservice-Connected -No Pension and Nonservice-Connected -Receiving Pension.
Limitation: Claims Denied Service Connection includes claims where all the veteran’s conditions were determined to be Nonservice-Connected even if the veteran was granted pension. The total number of Claims Denied Service Connection may decrease as appealed or reopened claims are granted. This is not a cumulative count.
Claims Filed
Claims Filed equals the total of Claims Granted Service Connection, Claims Denied Service Connection, and Claims Pending. This is not a cumulative count.
Limitations: Some duplicate counting may exist in the category Claims Filed if a veteran who was previously granted or denied disability benefits subsequently reopens his/her claim. Pending claims may increase or decrease each quarter based on the number of veterans who open new claims or re-open prior claims. This is not a cumulative count.
Claims Granted Service Connection
A veteran’s claim is granted when VA determines at least one of the veteran’s conditions meets eligibility requirements for service connection under VA statutes and regulations. This grant is called “service-connected,” or “SC.” Veterans frequently file a claim for more than one condition. For veterans who filed a claim for more than one condition, this category contains veterans with a full grant of all conditions as well as veterans with a combination of grants and denials. Disabilities are evaluated according to VA regulations, and the extent of the disability is expressed as a percentage from zero percent to 100 percent, in increments of 10 percent. Claims Granted Service Connection includes all service-connected disabilities, from zero percent to 100 percent, regardless of whether the veteran receives monetary compensation.
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Limitations: Claims Granted Service Connection excludes claims where all the veteran’s conditions were determined to be Nonservice-Connected even if the veteran was granted pension. The number of Claims Granted Service Connection includes veterans who have subsequently died. The total number of claims granted remains constant or increases each quarter. However, subcategories of Claims Granted Service Connection may increase or decrease. An increase or decrease may occur when a veteran with a granted claim re-enlists on active duty or is ordered to active duty from the Reserve Forces. Veterans who return to active duty are not permitted to receive both active duty pay and VA payments. This is not a cumulative count.
Claims Pending
Claims Pending identifies where VA is reviewing a veteran’s claim for compensation or pension benefits. This includes appealed and reopened claims, diary issues, issues pending authorization, and issues pending acceptance.
Limitations: The count of Claims Filed is the sum of Claims Pending and Claims Processed. Therefore, duplicate counting may exist in the category Claims Filed if a veteran who was previously granted or denied disability benefits subsequently reopens their claim. Pending claims may increase or decrease each quarter based on the number of veterans who open new claims or re-open prior claims. This is not a cumulative count.
Claims Processed
Claims Processed equals the total of Claims Granted Service Connection and Claims Denied Service Connection. Claims Processed does not include pending claims. This is not a cumulative count.
Conflict
Conflict is a subset of Deployed. Conflict identifies active duty service members deployed to Southwest Asia during the Gulf War, from August 2, 1990, through July 31, 1991. This includes Active Duty as well as Activated Reserve Forces.
Limitations: The initial Gulf War air campaign began on January 17, 1991, and it lasted through February 28, 1991. The Gulf War ground invasion into Iraq and Kuwait began February 24, 1991, and it stopped on February 28, 1991. VA defines the Southwest Asia theater as Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the neutral zone between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, and the airspace above these locations.
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C&P Benefit Granted
C&P Benefit Granted is a sum of "Claims Granted Service Connection” and "Non-Service connected, Receiving Pension." This is not a cumulative count.
Deployed
Deployed identifies active duty service members who served at least one day in the Southwest Asia theater of operations from August 2, 1990, through the present. VA uses the period from August 2, 1990, to the present to identify service members deployed to the Southwest Asia theater of operations who are potentially eligible for additional VA benefits (such as undiagnosed illness compensation). Deployed includes Activated Reserve Forces. Deployed equals the sum of the Conflict and Theater categories.
Limitations: VA defines the Southwest Asia theater as Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the neutral zone between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, and the airspace above these locations.
Era
Era identifies service members who did not deploy to the Gulf War. This includes Active Duty, Activated Reserve Forces, and Non-Activated Reserve Forces.
Estimated Living Veterans
Estimated Living Veterans is a subset of the Service Member population. It identifies individuals with active duty service and a discharge on or after August 2, 1990. Estimated Living Veterans includes service members called to active duty from the Reserve Forces. Subtractions are made for deaths.
Limitations: Estimated Living Veterans includes living Non-Activated Reserve Forces with a VA service-connected condition or who are in receipt of pension. Subtractions are made for deaths from among those Non-Activated Reserve Forces who had a VA service-connected condition or who were in receipt of pension. This report does not distinguish between a veteran and a “civilian veteran.” Some veterans counted in this report may currently be on active duty due to re-enlistment to active duty or due to activation from the Reserve Forces to active duty. In contrast, “civilian veterans” (as defined by the Census Bureau and in VA’s official counts) are those no longer on active duty.
VBA continues to work with VA's Office of Policy, Planning and Preparedness to resolve differences in the number of estimated living Gulf War veterans counted in GWVIS and those determined to be Gulf War veterans in VetPop2004, v1.0, which is 4,666,000 as of October 31, 2006. VetPop2004 estimates the number of civilian veterans (veterans not on active duty), while the VBA counts unique social security numbers, and includes both civilian veterans and veterans who are on active duty. Moreover, VetPop2004 includes a combination of reported separations up through September 2003 and projected
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separations after 2003 whereas VBA includes reported separations up through April 2006. The number of estimated living Gulf War veterans has increased as the number of service members discharged from active duty exceeded the number of Gulf War veterans who died.
Healthcare Enrollment Priority Group
The table below describes VA Healthcare Priority Groups 1 through 8.
Healthcare Enrollment Priority Group
Priority Group • Description of Priority Group
Priority 1 • Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 50%
or more disabling, or • Veterans determined by VA to be unemployable due to
service-connected conditions
Priority 2 Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 30% or 40%
disabling
Priority 3 • Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 10% or
20% disabling • Veterans who are former POWs • Veterans awarded the Purple
Heart • Veterans whose discharge was for a disability that began in the line
of duty • Veterans who are disabled because of VA treatment or participation
in VA vocational rehabilitation program • Veterans whose receipt of disability
compensation is suspended because of the receipt of military retired pay •
Veterans receiving compensation at the 10 percent rating level based on multiple
non-compensable service-connected disabilities that clearly interfere with
normal employability
Priority 4 • Veterans who are receiving aid and attendance or
housebound benefits (on pension) from VA • Veterans who have been determined
by VA to be catastrophically disabled
Priority 5 • Veterans receiving VA pension benefits • Veterans who
are eligible for Medicaid programs • Veterans with income and assets below VA
Means Test Thresholds
Priority 6 • Veterans with 0% service-connected conditions, but
receiving VA compensation • Veterans seeking care only for disorders relating
to Ionizing Radiation and Project 112/SHAD • Veterans seeking care for Agent
Orange Exposure during service in Vietnam • Veterans seeking care for Gulf War
Illness or for conditions related to exposure to Environmental Contaminants
during service in the Persian Gulf • Veterans of World War I or the Mexican
Border War • Veterans who served in combat in a war after the Gulf War or
during a period of hostility after November 11, 1998, for 2 years following
discharge or release from the military
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Priority 7 • Veterans who agree to pay specified copayments
with income and/or net worth above VA Means Test threshold and income below the
Geographic Means Test Threshold • Subpriority a: Noncompensable 0%
service-connected veterans who were enrolled in VA Health Care System on a
specified date and who have remained enrolled since that date • Subpriority c:
Nonservice-connected veterans who were enrolled in the VA Health Care System on
a specified date and who have remained enrolled since that date • Subpriority
e: Noncompensable 0% service-connected veterans not included in Subpriority a
above. VA is not currently using Subpriority e • Subpriority g:
Nonservice-connected veterans not included in Subpriority c above. VA is not
currently using Subpriority g
Priority 8 • Veterans who agree to pay specified copayments with
income and/or net worth above VA Means Test Threshold and the Geographic Means
Test Threshold • Subpriority a: Noncompensable 0% service-connected veterans
enrolled as of January 16, 2003 and who have remained enrolled since that date
• Subpriority c: Nonservice-connected veterans enrolled as of January 16, 2003
and who have remained enrolled since that date • Subpriority e: Noncompensable
0% service-connected veterans applying for enrollment after January 16, 2003 •
Subpriority g: Nonservice-connected veterans applying for enrollment after
January 16, 2003
Khamisiyah
Khamisiyah is a subset of the Conflict category. The DoD identified 145,472
service members as
having served in units in the hazard areas in and around the Khamisiyah
Ammunition Supply Point, Iraq
at the time of the demolition of chemical warfare munitions. On March 4, 1991,
and on March 10, 1991,
the U.S. military destroyed Iraqi “chemical warfare agent rockets,” possibly
exposing U.S. service
members to low levels of chemical warfare agents. Based on the most recent
analysis of the Khamisiyah
events, the DoD believes 101,768 service members were possibly exposed to
low-level chemical
warfare agents. Additional information about the current Khamisiyah analysis can
be viewed at DoD’s
web site: http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/khamisiyah_iii/.
Limitations: On December 21, 2004, VA received an updated list of 145,473 service members from DoD who were possibly in the hazard areas according to at least one of DoD’s modeling efforts or DoD’s 50-kilometer radius analysis. This is an increase of 6 service members' records since March 2006 based on new data from DoD. In this GWVIS report, VBA displayed compensation and pension statistics on 145,456 service members. VA and DoD have completed their review of service member records. However, there is a possibility of future changes, if needed, based on review by DoD.
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Non-Activated Reserve Forces Separations
Non-Activated Reserve Forces Separations is a subset of Service Member
Separations. Non-Activated
Reserve Forces Separations identifies individuals with current and former
Reserve Forces service and a
discharge from Reserve Forces on or after August 2, 1990. Non-Activated Reserve
Forces Separations
are counted under Estimated Living Veterans only when the individual becomes
either service-
connected or a pensioner. All Non-Activated Reserve Forces Separations are
counted, regardless of:
• Length of enlistment
• Re-enlistment
• Character of service
• Death
Limitations: Non-Activated Reserve Forces Separations may include service members who are veterans due to active duty service prior to the start of the Gulf War on August 2, 1990. Due to system limitations, VA cannot determine the status of these service members’ active duty service, if any.
Non-Activated Reserve Forces, Service-Connected
This category identifies a subset of Non-Activated Reserve Forces Separations who are service-connected or who are pensioners. This category is included in the count of veterans because they are receiving service-connected or war-time related benefits.
Limitations: Non-Activated Reserve Forces Separations may include service members who are veterans due to active duty service prior to the start of the Gulf War on August 2, 1990. Due to system limitations, VA cannot determine the status of these service members’ active duty service, if any.
Nonservice-Connected, No Pension
This category identifies the number of veterans who do not qualify for VA compensation or pension. VA determined the veteran did not qualify for compensation because none of the veterans’ conditions are related to military service. In addition, VA determined the veteran did not qualify for a pension based on VA’s disability and income requirements. This denial is called “nonservice-connected,” or “NSC.” This is not a cumulative count.
Nonservice-Connected, Receiving Pension
This category identifies the number of veterans where VA determined the veteran’s condition(s) were not related to military service. This denial is called “nonservice-connected,” or “NSC.” However, the veteran qualifies for a pension due to a nonservice-connected disability and income qualifications. This is not a cumulative count.
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Other Conflict
Other Conflict is a subset of Conflict. Other Conflict identifies active duty service members deployed to Southwest Asia during the Gulf War, from August 2, 1990, through July 31, 1991, not already identified in the categories Al Jubayl and Khamisiyah. This includes Active Duty as well as Activated Reserve Forces.
Reserve Forces
This category includes military service members from the following seven Reserve Forces components: Air National Guard, Marine Corps Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Army National Guard, Army Reserve, and Coast Guard Reserve.
Service-Connected Ten Percent (10%) or Greater, No Compensation or Pension
This category identifies the number of veterans where VA rated at least one service-connected condition at ten percent (10%) or higher. However, the veteran is not in receipt of compensation or pension payments. For example, this category includes service-connected military retiree veterans who are entitled to VA compensation but who elected not to receive it. It also includes veterans with disability severance pay who are on the Temporary Disability Retirement List (TDRL) and the Permanent Disability Retirement List (PDRL). This is not a cumulative count.
Service-Connected Ten Percent (10%) or Greater, Receiving Compensation or Pension
This category identifies the number of veterans where VA rated at least one service-connected condition at ten percent (10%) or higher, and the veteran receives compensation or pension payments. This is not a cumulative count.
Service-Connected Zero (0%) Percent, Receiving Compensation or Pension
This category identifies the number of veterans where VA rated at least one service-connected condition at zero percent (0%). The veteran qualifies for pension payments based on nonservice-connected disability and income, or the veteran qualifies for compensation based on VA regulations for multiple zero percent service-connected conditions. This is not a cumulative count.
Service-Connected Zero (0%) Percent, No Compensation or Pension
This category identifies the number of veterans where VA rated at least one service-connected condition at zero percent (0%). However, the veteran does not qualify for compensation or pension payments. This is not a cumulative count.
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Service Members
Service Members identifies individuals with any military service on or after
August 2, 1990, the start of
the Gulf War. VA identifies Service Members because they may be eligible for VA
benefits (education,
life insurance, home loan guaranty, and compensation and pension) under certain
conditions. This
includes:
• Active Duty Services: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast
Guard
• Reserve Components: Air National Guard, Marine Corps Reserve, Navy Reserve,
Air Force
Reserve, Army National Guard, Army Reserve, and Coast Guard Reserve
All Service Members are counted, regardless of:
• Length of enlistment
• Re-enlistment
• Character of service
• Death
• Activated Reserve Forces
• Non-Activated Reserve Forces
Limitations: Individuals in the Public Health Service (PHS) or in the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) are not identified or counted as Service Members. Details
about the benefit use
of individuals in PHS and NOAA are not provided in this report.
Service Member Separations
Service Member Separations is a subset of Service Members. Service Member Separations identifies individuals with a discharge from military service on or after August 2, 1990.
Service Member Separations equals the sum of three categories:
• Active Duty Separations
• Activated Reserve Forces Separations
• Non-Activated Reserve Forces Separations
All Service Members Separations are counted, regardless of:
• Length of enlistment
• Re-enlistment
• Character of service
• Death
• Activated Reserve Forces
• Non-Activated Reserve Forces
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Theater
Theater is a subset of Deployed. Theater identifies active duty service
members who deployed to
Southwest Asia during the Gulf War from August 1, 1991, until the present. This
includes Active Duty
as well as Activated Reserve Forces. Service members who served in both the
Conflict and the Theater
time periods are reported only under Conflict.
Limitations: VA defines the Southwest Asia theater as Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi
Arabia, the neutral zone
between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman,
the Gulf of Aden, the
Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, and the airspace
above these locations.
Total
Total equals the sum of the categories Deployed and Era.
Undiagnosed Illness (UDX), Claims Denied Service Connection
An undiagnosed illness (UDX) claim is denied when VA determines none of the veteran’s UDX conditions met eligibility requirements under VA regulations. This denial is called “nonservice-connected,” or “NSC.”
Limitations: There may be overlap between the categories Undiagnosed Claims Denied Service Connection and Claims Granted Service Connection. This happens when a veteran had all UDX conditions denied and a veteran has at least one diagnosed condition granted. The Theater category contains counts of veterans granted and denied UDX claims even though DMDC reports some of the veterans as Era (non deployed). VA is reviewing these veterans’ records with DoD to determine the veterans’ correct deployment status. This is not a cumulative count.
Undiagnosed Illness (UDX), Claims Granted Service Connection
A veteran’s undiagnosed illness (UDX) claim is granted when VA determines at least one of the veteran’s UDX conditions meets eligibility requirements under VA regulations for service connection. This grant is called “service-connected,” or “SC.” This category is a subset of Claims Granted Service Connection because the veteran has at least one granted condition. For veterans who filed a claim for more than one UDX condition, this category contains veterans with a full grant of all UDX conditions as well as veterans with a combination of grants and denials for UDX conditions. Disabilities are evaluated according to VA regulations, and the extent of the disability is expressed as a percentage from zero percent to 100 percent, in increments of 10 percent. Undiagnosed (UDX) Claims Granted Service Connection includes all service-connected UDX disabilities, from zero percent to 100 percent, regardless if the veteran receives compensation.
Limitations: The Theater category contains counts of veterans granted and denied UDX claims even though DMDC reports some of the veterans as Era (non deployed). VA is reviewing these veterans’
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records with DoD to determine the veterans’ correct deployment status. This report provides the current count of veterans granted service connection for a UDX condition. This is not a cumulative count. Therefore, the count may increase, decrease, or remain the same. The count may decrease if a service-connected veteran’s UDX condition was subsequently diagnosed or resolved.
Undiagnosed Illness (UDX), Claims Processed
Undiagnosed Illness (UDX) Claims Processed equals the total of Undiagnosed Illness (UDX) Claims Granted Service Connection and Undiagnosed Illness (UDX) Claims Denied Service Connection. Undiagnosed Illness (UDX) Claims Processed does not include pending claims. This is not a cumulative count.
Undiagnosed Illness (UDX), Nonservice-Connected, No Pension
This category identifies the number of veterans who do not qualify for VA compensation or pension. VA determined the veteran did not qualify for compensation because none of the veterans’ Undiagnosed Illness (UDX) conditions are related to military service. In addition, VA determined the veteran did not qualify for a pension based on VA’s disability and income requirements. This denial is called “nonservice-connected,” or “NSC.” This is not a cumulative count.
Undiagnosed Illness (UDX), Nonservice-Connected, Receiving Compensation or Pension
This category identifies the number of veterans where VA determined the veteran’s undiagnosed UDX condition(s) did not meet VA regulations for service connection. This denial is called “nonservice-connected,” or “NSC.” However, the veteran qualified for a pension due to disability and low income, or the veteran was granted service connection for a diagnosed condition.
Limitations: There may be overlap between the category Undiagnosed (UDX) Nonservice-connected Receiving Compensation or Pension and the category Claims Granted Service Connection. This happens when a veteran had all UDX conditions denied and has at least one diagnosed condition granted. This is not a cumulative count.
Undiagnosed Illness (UDX), Service-Connected Ten Percent (10%) or Greater, No Compensation or Pension
This category identifies the number of veterans where VA rated at least one service-connected Undiagnosed Illness condition at ten percent (10%) or higher. However, the veteran is not in receipt of compensation or pension payments. For example, this category includes service-connected military retiree veterans who are entitled to VA compensation but who elected not to receive it. It also includes veterans with disability severance pay who are on the Temporary Disability Retirement List (TDRL) and the Permanent Disability Retirement List (PDRL). This is not a cumulative count.
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Undiagnosed Illness (UDX), Service-Connected Ten Percent (10%) or Greater, Receiving Compensation or Pension
This category identifies the number of veterans where VA rated at least one service-connected Undiagnosed Illness (UDX) condition at ten percent (10%) or higher, and the veteran receives compensation or pension payments. This is not a cumulative count.
Undiagnosed Illness (UDX), Service-Connected Zero (0%) Percent, No Compensation or Pension
This category identifies the number of veterans where VA rated at least one service-connected Undiagnosed Illness (UDX) condition at zero percent (0%). However, the veteran does not qualify for compensation or pension payments. This is not a cumulative count.
Undiagnosed Illness (UDX), Service-Connected Zero Percent (0%), Receiving Compensation or Pension
This category identifies the number of veterans where VA rated at least one service-connected condition at zero percent (0%). The veteran qualifies for pension payments based on nonservice-connected disability and income, or the veteran qualifies for compensation based on VA regulations for multiple zero percent service-connected conditions. This is not a cumulative count.
Unique Count of Veterans Using Vet Centers
This category counts the number of unique veterans where the Readjustment Counseling Service Vet Center (RCSVC) computer system indicates the veteran sought or is using RCSVC services.
Veteran Deaths
Identifies deceased veterans reported only in VBA’s Compensation and Pension Master Record (CPMR) and the Beneficiary Identification and Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS).
Limitations: These counts reflect raw data that have not been subjected to any statistical analysis nor adjusted in any way to make it a mortality study. There has been no adjustment to account for age, gender, race, and other items required for a valid mortality study. In addition, the data will not reflect deaths reported after October 2006. The use of these data to draw conclusions regarding mortality rates will result in inaccurate conclusions. For analysis of Gulf War veteran mortality, see “Mortality among US Veterans of the Persian Gulf War: 7-Year Follow-up,” Han K. Kang and Tim A. Bullman, American Journal of Epidemiology, 2001, 154(5): 399-405.
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