It is expected the number of people working on the team may even grow a little more, according to Bernard Rostker, who was named to lead the team effort three months ago.

"For four years, the Pentagon has faced the challenge of Gulf War illnesses," Rostker said. "I no longer want to just 'cope' with it; I want to 'tackle' it. We simply couldn't do that with a dozen people."

Rostker added, "With the additional people, I promise a massive increase in the level of effort and in the physical and emotional commitment to meet this challenge."