Following the Gulf War in 1991, many veterans experienced unexplained neurological conditions. Initially veterans and their advocates in the media and Congress claimed this “syndrome” was caused by chemical warfare by Saddam Hussein, by widespread oil fires, or by radiation from US weapons. A number of “blue-ribbon panels” set up by the US Government each came back with reports that contradicted most of the veterans’ claims. The most controversial of these, the Presidential Advisory Committee, suggested that stress was the most likely cause, thereby linking complaints to the older wartime “shell shock.” Nevertheless, the Pentagon has developed an anthrax vaccine for all military personnel, suggesting that fears about biochemical warfare have been heightened by this activism. Ironically many National Guard personnel and Reservists have opted not to take the vaccine, citing distrust of the Pentagon’s handling of claims about the Gulf War.