 It is my privilege to introduce DAV National Commander Delphine Metcalf Foster. Now let me tell you why you're applauding her. She's a Vallejo California native. Commander Metcalf Foster followed in the footsteps of her father, a Buffalo soldier, by pursuing a career in the United States Army. Her military career included service with the U.S. Army Reserves with the 689th quartermaster unit, the 6253rd hospital unit, the 6211th transportation unit at Letterman Army Medical Center. She retired a first sergeant in 1996 after 21 years of service. She was injured in January 1991 while serving in Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Shield Desert Storm and was medically evacuated to Germany for care and treatment. Metcalf Foster has been active with the DAV, Department of California, becoming their first woman commander in the state. She also completed a four-year appointment as a member of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Women Veterans in 2015. She was elected National Commander of the more than one million member DAV at our 2017 National Convention in New Orleans. Commander Metcalf Foster is the first female to assume the organization's highest post. She was the first woman elected to lead one of the country's major veteran service organization. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in giving a warm welcome for your National Commander, Delphine Metcalf Foster. Thank you. Thank you so very, very much. But as most of you know, I start off because I like to know who's in the house. Who am I talking to or talking with? First of all, I want to know, is there any Navy in the house? Any Coast Guard in the house? Any Air Force in the house? Any Marines in the house? The tree that holds up all the branches is any Army in this house? Thank you so very much. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for that warm welcome. It is an honor to be here with you all this morning for the State Commander's Agenda Association meeting. I want to thank Danny, Rita, for all the great work CNA does to ensure their success of our mission on the state level and for your leadership in making this event possible. It seems to get better every year, and the hard work that goes into the conference pays dividends in terms of what we're able to achieve here at the committees and across the country. At DAV, we talk a lot about keeping the promise to our nation's veterans. This week, throughout the year, we will be addressing some official topics. At the very top of the list is safeguarding and improving the VA so that we can ensure all veterans today and tomorrow have a system accountable to them for the injuries and illness sustained in service to their nation, and that requires adequate funding. Right now, legislation to reform VA healthcare and improve access to care for millions of disabled veterans remains at a discussion phase in Congress when veterans require action. Thank you. As you will hear about more than more this week, VA began the current physical year 2018 with less funding than what is needed to maintain current services and addresses a number of unfunded congressional mandates. Even worse, next year advanced appropriations remain hopefully inadequate. This week, we will provide update budget information with a call to action to ensure VA receives sufficient funds to meet the needs of ill and injured veterans, their families, and survivors. This is such an important issue, and while I work here will set a strong platform, we must continue to advocate when we return home to our chapters. Just two months into 2018, we have already seen our government shutdown, largely because the partisan disagreements, by the way, we should be proud of that, based largely on our efforts to ensure advancement, funding for the VA, most VA employees and services were exempt during those shutdowns. But the instability and rancor that seems to polarize every issue is a serious threat to the future of veterans care and benefits. That's why we all are here gathered here today. This week is our opportunity to educate Congress and administration on a smart approach to funding a strong VA that those of us in this room rely on. We also must advocate for our brothers and sisters on issues of utmost importance, such as improving services for women veterans and support for all our caregivers. Last year we introduced the unsung heroes initiative, which brings attention to the inequality impacting our most severely disabled veterans. As most of you know, caregivers of veterans injured after September 1, 2001 are ineligible for services and resources that remain unavailable to veterans who were injured prior to that date. Most importantly, the unsung heroes initiative addresses how to right this long overdue wrong. Just a few months ago, we delivered a petition to Congress signed by more than 182,000 passionate citizens urging passage of a bill to expand benefits to caregivers of severely disabled veterans of all generations. It is unthinkable that an arbitrary date defines whose services is more deserving of life-changing benefits in the eyes of the law. A bill that not only funds VA, but expands caregiver benefits in the Senate and our support of this important legislation cannot be overstated. We have made great strides in this struggle for party and service, but the flight continues for too many, including many men and women in this room. The battle is so essential and one that I can understand quite well. While everyone here knows that I am a proud Army veteran, you may not know that I carry the important role of a caregiver for many years as well. It was this event in 2000 where I met my dear husband Jimmy, a fellow veteran. We had a wonderful life and made it through some tough times until Jimmy became sick, facing Alzheimer's and dementia. Suddenly, I was thrust into the role of caregiver. I did my absolute best with the limited resources we had. I worked tirelessly to bring as much money home as I could while his needs continued to grow expensive. I wanted to keep Jimmy home, but as his illness progressed and I grew older, that was no longer possible. It broke my heart to move him into a long-care setting at our VA Medical Center. Despite the good care he received there, I wanted to continue doing what I could to make his life more meaningful. I visit as much as possible, I script and I save to have him taken out of the hospital daily, and he was not confined in a chair staring and watching a TV all day. But to me, it still was not enough. I fully believe our post-9-11 veterans need to have earned access to caregivers' benefits. But I can't begin to tell you how valuable that same support would have been for my husband and me. Jimmy could have spent the rest of his life where he belonged at home with me. Not only it had been less expensive for taxpayers to keep him at home, but it would also have been what he wanted. I know my story is not unique. There are too many veterans and caregivers being left behind. Because of an arbitrary date on a calendar, we must fight to extend these essential benefits so other veterans and caregivers do not have to suffer the way Jimmy did, and the way too many other veterans and caregivers have. At this time, I'd like to ask the unsung heroes in this audience, the caregivers, who work tirelessly to care for the veterans to please stand and be recognized. Thank you for being here, and thank you for all for the things you do every day. These selfless individuals who we just recognized, the veterans that they support, along with our brothers and sisters in arms who cannot be here but want their voice heard. They are why we're gathered here at the nation's capital. As you fail the halls of Congress on Tuesday, Maureen, and meet with your representatives and senators throughout the week, your message must be clear. We are veterans. We take care of our veterans. We expect our government to do the same for those who have sacrificed and for the families and survivors. No matter the era or branch we served in, man or woman, young or old, regardless of the color of your skin, we have sacrificed for this nation. We have upheld our end of the contract. And now, Congress has to ensure they stay true to it as well. Veterans issues should never be a partisan, and we expect our elected officials to work together in the best interest of all those who raised their right hand and wrote that blank check to include up to their lives for this country. Now, I'd like to take some time to recognize some important people in the audience today. Our service officers are out there every day, face to face with veterans and transitioning service officers, making an incredible impact on the men and women who have served. As well as their families, chapter, department national and transitional service officers, they are standing ready to ensure every veteran has access to free professional representation. DAV currently represents more than 250,000 claimants, and our service officers are the ones that work diligently day in and day out to make this possible. Service officers, please stand if able to be recognized. The men and women accredited or certified by DAV as service officers over 4,400 strong and the face of DAV are often the first impression a veteran has of our organization. Thank you for all your dedication to our fellow veterans. While claims and assistance may be the DAV quarter stone of service, we have been active as every serving veterans through all avenues. Last year, we co-hosted more than 140 transitional and viral career fairs across the country with more than 43,000 attendees, and this year we are sponsoring 150. Last year, our volunteer drivers traveled nearly 18.5 million miles, providing nearly 650,000 rides to ensure veterans could attend their critical VA appointments, saving the taxpayers $36 million. We are also supporting our brothers and sisters in great need that have impacted in natural disasters like the hurricanes in Texas and Puerto Rico and the fires in California and throughout the western part of the country. We provided nearly $1 million to support just last year, individual vouchers to help veterans and their families secure lodging, food, and other necessities. We offer all those services and resources to veterans at no cost in order to help them claim their own personal victories. Another group of people I would like to take a moment to recognize are our headquarters teams at Cold Springs and Washington. They are constantly working to improve the programs and services we offer, and to ensure DAV is doing everything possible to provide victories to veterans each and every day. Mark Burgess, Barry Jeszynowski, Gary Augustine, and Randy Reese. You have assembled a lead, phenomenal leaders, and a team of professionals within the veterans advocacy arena. And the work you do is second to none. Let's give them a hand. As veterans and members, we sincerely appreciate all the work these teams do in order to further DAV mission. Thank you. I'd also like to thank our partners with DAV Auxiliary. DAV has no better friend or closer allies than the Auxiliary. Under the capable leadership of Auxiliary National Commander Craig Johnikin and National Agitant Pat Kemper, your support is invaluable. And we are blessed. And we are blessed to have such a devoted partner. I want to thank Craig for his dedication to continuing the fight for caregivers during his historic team and his helm at the Auxiliary. We cannot do this without his steadfast leadership on this issue. For nearly a century, DAV has stood as a champion of veteran causes. I can assure you this year and in the years ahead, we will face many new and recurring trials, including challenges to our compensation and healthcare programs, your attention to these issues, your support to our advocacy campaigns, and your voices amplify DAV's message have never been more important than they are now. We need you to be DAV's ambassadors. Take what you've learned and your experience here this week home with you. Spread the message. Invite your fellow veterans to join us by our side. It is through our ranks nationwide that we move closer to achieving our goals. Whether ascending emails to lawmakers through DAV CAN, the Commander Action Network, or sharing DAV advocacy on social media, your voice matters, but it must be heard. Never forget the men and women we're fighting for, the veterans here in this room. The veterans in long-term care and nursing facilities. The veterans coming home each and every day making a different transitioning back to civilian life. And our brothers and sisters currently serving overseas in arms way. Let these men and women guide your daily efforts. Now, before I conclude my remarks, there's one group of people here I'd like to recognize. There are a number of men and women in the audience and throughout the country who never enjoyed the support many of our active duty service members now receive. For those who have served in Vietnam and during that time period, your service may not have been recognized. And in too many cases, you have been treated unfairly, even cruel when you return home. The United States Veteran War Commentation was founded by the government to help heal those wounds with a simple gesture, a genuine thank you for serving that you may have never received. The Vietnam War Commemoration has partners around the country whose goal is to reach each and every Vietnam-era veteran or their survivors to provide them a long overdue gesture of gratitude. DAV's National Office is a commemorative partner and I know many of the chapters there as well. And today we have a staff from the Vietnam War Commemorative here to present veterans with a small token of thanks for your service. Among the staff here is a Vietnam War Director, retired U.S. Army Major General James T. Jackson. Sir, would you please stand and be recognized? General Jackson, it is so wonderful to have you here and your team, but it is even more meaningful having you here to recognize a group of people that served, sacrificed, and too often suffered as a result. I'd like to ask those veterans who served stateside or overseas between November 1st, 1955 and May 15th, 1975 to please stand, if able, and be recognized. Thank you all for your service and welcome home. Right outside these doors as you exit after adjournment of the CNA Business Section, staff from the Vietnam War Commemoration are waiting to present you with your pin in a long overdue recognition. As we honor those veterans half a century after they serve, we are reminded that the mission of service is never complete. And we owe our fellow injured and ill veterans the best DAV has to offer. More than that, I have enormous confidence in what incredible talents you all bring to this organization. May God bless DAV and may God continue to bless the United States of America and the men and women who continue to stand and watch to defend our company. Thank you and keep up the good work.