 Now, ladies and gentlemen, in times like these, when people seem so divided, even on issues that should unify us like caring for veterans, we look to talented leaders to help bring us together and steady the ship. Lucky for us, we have a sailor at the helm. Mark Burgess, our organization's eighth national advocate, is a Navy veteran of the Gulf War beginning in 2010. He served as the organization's executive director at National Headquarters in Cold Spring, Kentucky. There, he oversaw the voluntary services, fundraising, accounting, administration, information technology, communications, logistics, and plant operations. In 2013, he became our national adjutant and chief executive officer, replacing the venerable Art Wilson. Like his predecessor, Mark began his professional services with the DEAV on the ground floor as a national service officer in Baltimore in 1995. With a core knowledge of service to veterans, thoughtful and methodical leadership abilities, and a keen ability to not only care for but also to inspire his staff and fellow members, Mark has proven truly himself to be an effective leader and a tremendous asset to the disabled American veterans. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming our national adjutant from the United States Navy, Adjutant Mark Burgess. Good morning. Good morning. Thank you all for gathering for one of DAV's strongest demonstrations in the realm of veterans advocacy, our annual midwinter conference and commanders and adjutants association meeting. As veterans, we all have a few common lessons we learned during our military service. One of those is that leadership starts at the top. And that's no different than at local DAV chapters and departments nationwide. That's a big reason why your presence here today is so important. You are the ones who have taken on the immense responsibility of DAV leadership. You are the ones to help ensure DAV's critical policy goals are reached. And you are the leaders responsible for ensuring more victories for veterans. But your presence here also helps put a face on veterans' issues and shows lawmakers that their actions affect real people, real veterans and their families every day. That personalization is extremely powerful and you've always carried that message to the hill and your local communities with passion and with dedication. For that, DAV and your fellow veterans are profoundly grateful. While 2017 was probably one of the most significant years in terms of legislation to reform the VA, 2018 may be even more critical as a number of historic new laws begin to be implemented. National Legislative Director Joy Elam will go over many of these issues in greater detail during the benefits protection and legislative workshop later today, but I would like to provide a brief overview of the current veterans' landscape here in Washington and the path forward. Last year, DAV was able to play a key role in achieving several major legislative victories, including passage of legislation to improve accountability, modernize the appeals process and to extend services to women veterans. Our efforts also helped increase funding to strengthen the VA, hire more clinical staff and continue access to community care. Education benefits such as vocational rehabilitation were also strengthened and disabled veterans received a 2% cost of living increase. As 2017 drew to a close, Congress had made significant progress on historic VA healthcare reform legislation that includes additional resources for the VA to improve access and provisions for improving and expanding VA's program of support services to caregivers of severely injured veterans of all errors, one of DAV's key legislative priorities. And once again, we will be counting on DAV members to press their legislators to enact this extremely important legislation. Each of these victories will have a direct impact on the lives of the men and women who served, particularly those who changed emotionally or physically as a result of their service to our country. Getting these new laws on the books was a major accomplishment, but now we must continue our efforts to ensure that these changes are fully and faithfully implemented as intended. For example, the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 will provide veterans with more options to appeal adverse claims decision while fully protecting their due process rights. However, continued oversight is necessary as due rules, regulations and procedures are developed before the program takes full effect later this month. As part of the team that helped draft and pass the law, DAV will remain actively engaged with the VA and Congress throughout the upcoming year to ensure the process is streamlined and veterans interests are protected. We will also have to remain laser focused on VA health care reform as the current choice program is phased out and replaced with a new model of VA integrated community care. Pending legislation will allow the creation of local community health care networks with the VA serving as the coordinator and primary provider of care to enrolled veterans. The goal is to supplement VA care and expand access when and where veterans need it. During this transition, we must remain vigilant and ensure VA receives the full funding and authority it requires to deliver timely, high quality care to all enrolled veterans. DAV's grassroots advocacy will be essential in 2018 as the VA begins to implement these major reforms. I know with continued support from DAV members, we will begin to realize the modern and more responsive VA health care and benefit system we deserve. And again, our national legislative team will go over these issues in greater detail during the benefits protection and legislative workshop later today. The legislative staff will also be going over DAV's key legislative priorities so you are prepared for your visits to Capitol Hill this week. I highly encourage everyone to attend this workshop in order to get up to speed and make the most of your time with your elected representatives. Additionally, as you know, DAV has been leading the fight for expansion of equal caregiver benefits for veterans of all arrows, not just those injured after 9-11. This week, we want to ensure lawmakers hear your voice calling for action on this critical issue. Directly following the benefits protection and team workshop today at three o'clock, just outside these doors, we'll have a booth set up to help facilitate your phone calls to Washington leadership. We want to light up the switchboards and let them know now is the time to take action on our nation's veterans and their caregivers. So please be sure to stop by, pick up a copy of the script and place your calls. Let them know and let them hear the voice of DAV. Now I'd like to switch gears for just a moment. As you may remember, last year DAV launched Forward March, a campaign that challenges anyone who's received help from DAV or benefited from a veteran's sacrifice to say thank you by volunteering one hour of their time during the months of March to give back to a veteran in their community. During last year's inaugural campaign, DAV was able to add another 100 volunteers who contributed nearly another 2,300 hours of volunteer service to veterans in need, the importance of which cannot be overstated for the veterans that were helped. Today, we're proud to announce a new tool to help further infuse excitement into our organization's volunteer efforts, a web-based community called Volunteer for Veterans. This new tool, which can be found at volunteerforveterans.org, is a game changer in the veteran community because it links veterans from across the country with volunteers of all ages, regardless of their connection to the veteran community. In addition to efforts by the national organization to promote this initiative, we will be counting on departments and chapters to populate the website with volunteer opportunities and with volunteers. It's a work in progress, and we will want and need your feedback. Nothing like this currently exists among veterans service organizations, and it illustrates how DAV is really innovating the idea of volunteering in our community. Veterans take care of each other, and this is a very personal way to get involved and do your part. We truly need a groundswell of participation from our members and volunteers to drive this effort. I encourage you all to spread the word about volunteerforveterans.org and Forward March in your communities. One hour is a small contribution that can make an enormous difference in the life of a veteran. In closing, I cannot thank you enough for the support you've always so readily shown when our commander calls on you and the continued dedication both to our organization and to our veterans. Midwinners simply would not be what it is without all of you here in this room, and we could not be as strong in this organization without your leadership and without your enthusiasm. No doubt we are facing a busy and challenging year, as always, but I've seen the tremendous strides that you've put forth in years past. You are all doing critical work. There's something unique about our community that should remind us of the importance and value of our mission. The most inspiring thing to me about DAV members is the passion that I see every day caring for the men and women who served. Volunteering and standing up for your fellow veterans, family members, and survivors is a particularly meaningful commitment for we who have benefited from DAV services and those who have benefited from the joy that comes from giving a brother or a sister hope. By making the most of your time here, you honor the service and sacrifices made by veterans and their families past and present. You pay it forward. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you do every day. May God bless you, God bless America, and may we all together make the most of this incredibly important week. Thank you.