Investigated the effects of deployment and military service during the Persian Gulf war on women's physical and emotional health. 525 women who were on active duty (mean age 30 yrs), in the reserves (mean age 34 yrs), or in the national guard (mean age 33 yrs) when the war started were sampled. Ss completed 2 series of self-report measures about general physical health, gender-specific health, the "Gulf War Syndrome," and emotional responses to war, including symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder 2 and 4 yrs after the war. Ss deployed to the theater reported significantly more general as well as gender-specific health problems than did Ss deployed elsewhere. A cluster of common health problems included skin rash, cough, depression, unintentional weight loss, insomnia, and memory problems. The author concludes that follow-up study of a group of specific effects, including those concerning gynecologic and reproductive health, is needed.