 It is with great pleasure we join in celebrating 246 years of the United States Army. For more than two centuries, our soldiers have demonstrated courage while defending our great nation and local communities. One of the many heroes among these soldiers was our own Second Lieutenant Emily Perez, who displayed the seven core Army values. These same values are echoed in this year's celebratory theme, honoring the courage of the American soldier. As a loyal soldier, Emily supported her leadership and stood up for her fellow soldiers. Emily embraced the Army soldiers creed by being disciplined and physically and mentally tough. She was trained and proficient in her warrior tasks and drills. She maintained her arms, her equipment, and herself. Like many of her fellow soldiers, she was an expert and a professional. She stood ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat. But she went to medical court. She started out as a platoon leader and unbeknownst to her, she was a convoy leader. So when she went down to Iraq, she was basically ferrying supplies, medical supplies, all over the area of operations. She continually led the convoys with her troops. She was able to build a camaraderie and a closeness with the soldiers that were under her command as a platoon leader to where they felt safe with her leading the convoy, knowing that she was going to do everything within her ability to be able to bring them back home safely. Like many others, Emily was full of life and had a love for people. She made the ultimate sacrifice for filling her duty, namely providing selfless service and honor, demonstrating exceptional and professional competence, showing a total dedication to duty, and offering extraordinary leadership. This is why we honor the courage of the American soldier. The courage of the American soldier is the highest standard for other soldiers to understand what it means to serve and give our very best at all times. Emily made valuable and significant contributions to both the AMED and the United States Army. She exemplified selfless service and her high moral principles and dedication to duty guided her every move. I hope you find Emily's story inspiring and it brings you a sense of pride for this young lady who made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom. Army Medicine is Army Strong.