Many of the approximately 700,000 veterans of the Persian Gulf War have complained of illnesses since the war's end in 1991, and over 10 percent have sought and completed health examinations through the Department of Veterans' Affairs or Defense. Some fear they are suffering from chronic disabling conditions because of wartime exposures to one or more agents with known or suspected health effects. In response to these concerns, the government has funded research, investigation, and information activities through agencies such as the Departments of Veterans' Affairs, Defense, and Health and Human Services, which are represented on the Persian Gulf Veterans' Coordinating Board, the body that coordinates the federal response to Gulf War veterans' illnesses.