ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: wednesday, October 30, 1996            TAG: 9610300003
SECTION: NATL/INTL                PAGE: A-4  EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON 

GULF WAR SYNDROME HOT LINE SWAMPED

The Pentagon's toll-free telephone hot lines for Persian Gulf War soldiers have been getting unprecedented use, with 3,334 calls registered in a week, a spokesman said Tuesday.

Last Tuesday, the Pentagon announced that it wanted anyone who may have information about the potential exposure of U.S. troops to chemical weapons in the gulf to call an "incident" hot line. Since that time, there have been 772 calls to that number, Capt. Michael Doubleday said. The number is (800) 472-6719.

A separate hot line designed to help service members obtain information about potential medical support and to sign up for the Pentagon's clinical evaluation program got 1,137 calls, he said. That number is (800) 796-9699/.

- Associated Press

LENGTH: Short :   27 lines
KEYWORDS: TYIN