In late January 1994, my wife Robin and I experienced a genuine "life-changing event." While many of our friends were having children or buying homes, Robin and I were drawn into one of the great historical dramas of the 1990's: the federal government's cover-up of what has become known in the press as Gulf War Syndrome.
As part of her Women's Executive Leadership (WEL) program experience, Robin decided in late January 1994 to solicit a fellowship on Capitol Hill. Using some Agency contacts, Robin discovered that the Senate Banking Committee was in need of additional staff to work on its ongoing investigation into the possible link between alleged chemical exposures and illnesses being reported by Desert Storm veterans. After reading the committee's original September 1993 report, I became interested enough to start digging into the CIA's historical files to see what corroborating evidence I could develop. That simple step evolved into a two-year odyssey which culminated in my resignation from the CIA in October 1996 and the subsequent release of my book on the subject, Gassed in the Gulf.
Gassed was published in August 1997 by Insignia Publishing Company; the paperback version was published in July 2000 by iUniverse in collaboration with the Authors Guild. I'm gratified that the book was so well received by the veterans' community. Not surprisingly, the national security establishment was less enthusiastic. Video tape copies of my June 1997 and August 2000 appearances on CSPAN's About Books and Book TV are also available for purchase directly from CSPAN.
My memoir of my entire CIA career, Long Strange Journey, is largely complete and I hope to have it in publication in the near future.
My opinion pieces have covered a number of topics: government malfeasance in the defense and intelligence communities; maltreatment of America's veterans; and current key issues in international affairs. The Washington Post, The Washington Times, The Los Angeles Times,The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Wall Street Journal, and the Army Times Publishing Company Newspapers (anchored by The Army Times) have all been venues for my work. If you have a story idea, or know of a problem in the defense or intelligence establishment that cries out for public scrutiny, email me.