Several years ago I hosted an inCYST professional training in Los Angeles. In the weeks before the event, I'd been chatting on the phone with a young woman from several thousand miles away, who decided to come and participate. The whole time we chatted on the phone, I had assumed she was a dietitian, coming down to represent the medical clinic at her military base, as a trip funded by that employer. It was not until she came and we met, that I realized, she had come to attend our conference to learn more about her own personal diagnosis. And it was not until the second day of the event, when I asked her if she would like to be our"practice patient" and tell her story, did I receive one of the biggest gifts of my career. It was only when this sweet, deliberate woman got up in front of our audience, that we learned she had been deployed to Iraq. And once she realized we really wanted to hear her TRUE story, that she started to share some of the experiences she had had during that time. And if that was not enough to get our attention, she also shared how nearly impossible it had been for her to get anyone on her military health care team to take her seriously when the stress of that deployment began to take its toll on her health. Despite everything she had been through, and despite what seemed obvious to everyone in that room…that part of her problem was directly related to the sacrifice she had so willingly given us…her employer did not want to recognize this and give her appropriate care. She even had to pay all of her own expenses to come to our event. In all the years I've attended conferences and hosted conferences, I've never witnessed a quieter audience. This group of medical professionals, used to having a lot of answers for a lot of things, sat there humbled, frustrated, I'm guessing a little embarrassed that they had so much in their own lives, while someone else who had given so much in order for them to have all that…was being given so little in return. I call this experience a gift, because it heightened my awareness of what our military sacrifices on our behalf. It's not just time away from family, a limb, a delayed college entrance. It's dignity in the health care they receive. I left feeling very angry about what seemed to be a reluctance to acknowledge the mental health toll military service takes. And a feeling that we seem to be ok with using young men and women until the pressure begins to affect them, then we quietly set them out on their own with no resources for putting themselves back together. We do see quite a few military personnel and families of military personnel, likely due to the stresses of these military lives. I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for your gift to us. Without what you fought for, none of us in this network would have the luxury of doing what we do. And you have provided us with a purpose over and above educating about women's health. I want to make you a promise. When we get up and running, and start doing research, I will be sure that the issues, concerns, and needs of your community are a major part of what we advocate for. It's not just something we think of on this weekend. It's a huge part of what drives us to do what we do, every single day of the year. Thank you for your service. It is, and will always be, an honor to work to serve you.