Qestion For Vets Of All Era's

[timetowinarace]

I was reminded from a post in another thread that Gulf War Veterans are not allowed to donate blood. I remember being told by the Army when we came back from the desert that we could not donate but was/am unsure if this ban was still active. I have not officially verified that it is still active.

The question is, Are veterans from other conflicts banned from donating blood, especially this curent conflict?

[cvsp]

Well I found a good link that might prove me wrong.

http://www.newenglandblood.org/giving/guide.htm

Seems that you get banned for being in Iraq for 12 months.

Mad cow is still there.

Lots of reports of the Gulf War Syndrome ban show up in Google searches but it seems that it was removed.

[allan]

Subject = EXPLANATION OF BLOOD DONATION RESTRICTION FOR SWA VETERANS

Parent Organization = MISC

Unit = MISC

Folder Title = 123D US ARMY RESERVE COMMAND-SWA VETERANS BLOOD DONATION RESTRICTIONS EXPLANATION

Document Number = 1

Box ID = BX005619

CORRECTED COPY

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

HEADQUARTERS 123D UNITED STATES ARMY RESERVE COMMAND

BUILDING 126

FORT BENJAMIN HARRISON. INDIANA 46216-6400

IN REPLY

REFER TO

AFRC-AIN-MED (40-2b) 27 November 1991

MEMORANDUM FOR ALL 123d ANCOM MAJOR SU13ORDINATE COMMANDS AND

DIRECT REPORTING UNITS

SUBJECT: Explanation of Blood Donation Restrictions for

Southwest Asia (SWA) Veterans

1. The enclosed information will provide an explanation for the

Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) restriction on SWA

veterans donating blood or blood products.

2. According to MSG NBR-0814-02F4CB, page 5, para 11, received

17 November 1991, 'until further notice all personnel from Saudi

Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq. Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman

and Yeman from I Aug 1990' are asked to deter blood donations

until further notice.

3. The reason for this restriction is potential exposure of

deployed service members to the disease VISCEROTROPIC

LEISIIMANIASIS. Seven cases have been diagnosed to date at

Walter Reed Medical Center. All were free of skin lesions

(normal symptom), but had parasites recovered from their bone

marrow.

4. Leishmaniasis is one of a number of infectious diseases

transmitted via sand fly bites. Several ARCOM soldiers returned

from SWA with possible skin lesions related to sand fly bites.

5. Please ensure all soldiers are informed of this information.

FOR THE COMMANDER:

Encl CARL E. LINES

Military Personnel Officer

http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/declassdocs/ar...cls42_0001.html

[allan]

Here's another............

Military Won't Accept Gulf Veterans' Blood

Published: November 13, 1991

The military has stopped accepting blood donations from as many as a half-million Persian Gulf war veterans because of a rare parasite brought home from the region by a small number of troops, the Pentagon said today.

"We have temporarily stopped accepting donations from those who were in the area," said Brig. Gen. Ronald Blanck of the Army.

Military officials said that the parasite Leishmania tropica was not normally life-threatening but that a severe strain could cause anemia and other problems.

The officials said that the risk of contamination by blood transfusions was apparently low, but that they were taking the step as a safety measure until some type of screening procedure could be developed.

The American Association of Blood Banks, which includes more than 2,000 private, hospital and Red Cross donation centers in the country, also recommended today against accepting donations from soldiers and civilians who were in the gulf region during the war.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html...752C1A967958260

[Tbird]

here's a google search with more about this http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=...amp;btnG=Search

Here's another............

Military Won't Accept Gulf Veterans' Blood

Published: November 13, 1991

The military has stopped accepting blood donations from as many as a half-million Persian Gulf war veterans because of a rare parasite brought home from the region by a small number of troops, the Pentagon said today.

"We have temporarily stopped accepting donations from those who were in the area," said Brig. Gen. Ronald Blanck of the Army.

Military officials said that the parasite Leishmania tropica was not normally life-threatening but that a severe strain could cause anemia and other problems.

The officials said that the risk of contamination by blood transfusions was apparently low, but that they were taking the step as a safety measure until some type of screening procedure could be developed.

The American Association of Blood Banks, which includes more than 2,000 private, hospital and Red Cross donation centers in the country, also recommended today against accepting donations from soldiers and civilians who were in the gulf region during the war.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html...752C1A967958260

[broncovet]

I am a Vietnam Era Vet. I recently gave blood. However, Vietnam Vets are at High risk for Hepatitis C

because of the military using the "guns" to vaccinate.

WE would get in a line, and a corpsman would come by and "shoot" the vaccine in our arm, and he would move right on to the next guy..no cleaning, no alcohol, no nothing.

Often a drop of blood remained in the gun from the previous guy, if you are next..poof, you are blood brothers and have the same diseases.

The military, of course, "banned" this type of gun after they found out it spread blood borne diseases, and then denied that the gun caused Veterans any problems.

Hep C is a bad disease, that can eventually destroy a Veterans liver, killing him. However, it often takes 30 years to manifest itself in liver disease, so the VA works hard on blaming the Veteran and then deny SC for hepatitis. Personally, I recommend Vietnam Vets get tested for Hep C, and seek treatment before your liver is ate up. For more info on Veterans with Hep C, see this site:

http://hcvets.com/AskNOD/index.html

Edited March 11, 2009 by broncovet

[purple]

It's not just vietnam-era vets that the injector guns were used on. I enlisted in 1985 and had the gun used on me. One gun in each arm...I remember that very well.

I guess the only person "safe" was the first person in line....