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
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.
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 identifies service members who did not deploy to the Gulf War. This includes Active Duty,
Activated Reserve Forces, and Non-Activated Reserve Forces.