Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of maps
- Preface
- Chronology 1987–91
- Abbreviations
- PART 1 STRATEGY AND POLICY
- PART 2 NEW MAJOR PEACE OPERATIONS
- PART 3 THE FIRST GULF WAR
- Conclusion
- Appendix A Australian participation in multinational peacekeeping operations, 1947–2007
- Appendix B Key United Nations Security Council resolutions and statements
- Appendix C Investigations into chemical warfare in the Iran–Iraq War, 1984–87 by Daniel Flitton
- Appendix D Gulf War syndrome by Rosalind Hearder
- Appendix E Major office bearers, 1987–96
- Bibliography
- Index
Appendix D - Gulf War syndrome by Rosalind Hearder
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of maps
- Preface
- Chronology 1987–91
- Abbreviations
- PART 1 STRATEGY AND POLICY
- PART 2 NEW MAJOR PEACE OPERATIONS
- PART 3 THE FIRST GULF WAR
- Conclusion
- Appendix A Australian participation in multinational peacekeeping operations, 1947–2007
- Appendix B Key United Nations Security Council resolutions and statements
- Appendix C Investigations into chemical warfare in the Iran–Iraq War, 1984–87 by Daniel Flitton
- Appendix D Gulf War syndrome by Rosalind Hearder
- Appendix E Major office bearers, 1987–96
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Like Agent Orange during the Vietnam War and post-traumatic stress disorder throughout the twentieth century, Gulf War syndrome (also known as Gulf War illness or Persian Gulf War syndrome), remains a significant area of general confusion and military medical controversy.
The Gulf War of 1991 involved hundreds of thousands of US and allied coalition troops, united against Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait on 2 August 1990. While Australia's involvement was small, at 1,872 personnel, it was nevertheless an important strategic commitment. Consisting of mostly RAN men and women, Australia deployed six ships in total, with two rotations of three ships each. They were HMA Ships Success, Adelaide, Darwin, Brisbane, Sydney (IV) and Westralia. Australian personnel spent most of late 1990 to early 1991 patrolling the Gulf of Oman, intercepting ships of interest. In December 1990 Brisbane, Sydney and Success moved into the Persian Gulf and operated there during the war. An RAN clearance diving team, a detachment from the Army's 16th Air Defence Regiment, Defence Intelligence Organisation analysts, four medical teams and personnel on exchange with American and British units also served in the Gulf War.
After a five-month build-up of forces from August 1990, the war itself consisted of only thirty-nine days of air war and a four-day ground war before Iraqi forces surrendered and hostilities ended on 27 February. Among US personnel, mortality rates were a very low 0.04 per cent, with more than half the deaths resulting from illness and accidents.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Australia and the New World OrderFrom Peacekeeping to Peace Enforcement: 1988–1991, pp. 524 - 553Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011