Gulf Reservists Suffer Strange Illnesses

About 60 members of Army Reserve units from Indiana have complained of mysterious illnesses since returning from Persian Gulf duty and Army officials confirmed Wednesday they are studying the ailments.

Reported symptoms include hair loss, muscle aches and chronic fatigue, officials said. Other symptoms include aching teeth and gums, and thick saliva.

“It was so bad that when I showered, both my hands would be covered with hair,” reservist Sgt. Lori Rosalius said in a telephone interview. She said she felt so ill shortly after returning to the United States last June that she thought she was “dying from some disease.”

Rosalius, 28, of Crescent City, Ill., near the Indiana line, consulted two doctors and a nutritionist before she found any relief.

The complaints have been limited to about 60 members of three combat support units under the 123rd U.S. Army Reserve Command based in Indianapolis, said Steve Stromvall, spokesman for the Army Reserve Command in Atlanta. Those units were deployed to five locations in Saudi Arabia.

Army officials were trying to trace other units that served in the same areas to determine whether similar complaints have been reported, Stromvall said.

Some soldiers believe they were sickened by prolonged exposure to microwaves, Stromvall said. Microwave radiation is emitted by radar and is the energy source in microwave ovens.

“So far, there’s no singular indication of a specific cause,” he said.