ellen embry. [applause] >> good morning, everyone. i am here on behalf of the secretary of defense. mr. gates unfortunately was not available today and so he asked me to come in and provide some opening remarks on behalf of the department and i am pleased to do so. thank you for those very kind words and that wonderful introduction. good morning to everyone. welcome to this second annual dod/va conference on suicide prevention. it is the only conference established to specifically address the issue of suicide in the military and veterans' population. it is very important that you all are here. it is obvious you care and you spend many of your days and nights caring about this issue and making the difference in the lives of our service members and veterans and their families. i want to thank the distinguished guests who are here who were mentioned earlier and of course, i would like to thank the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff will be here later. he has been especially dedicated to this issue and has been quite an advocate for the department and helping us all to see and addres

i would like to give a special welcome to ellen embry, performing the duties of the acting assistantsecretary of defense for health affairs, secretaries and jackie -- secretary shinseki will be here and the deputy commander for reserve affairs for the green car. we have rather admiral daniel holloway -- rear admiral daniel holloway. we're pleased to welcome the deputy commander for the joint task force of capital medicine. the joint stop surgeon -- we have brigadier-general byron hepburn. we are pleased to have bonnie carroll, the director of the tragedy assistance program. please join me in welcoming our distinguished guests. [applause] i cannot tell you what it is to look across this audience. of all the things that are demanding our attention, that each of you would make this a priority. it speaks volumes. this is not business as usual. we're here over the next few days to learn, to share, to grow, to connect. as i look across this room icy colleagues and friends from the be a -- i see colleagues and friends from the va. i see nco's. i see retirees. i see family members who have s

ellen embry, performing the duties of the acting -- of the assistant secretary of defense for healths, secretary shinseki, of course, from the va will be here in about a half hour. we're honored to have the chief of patient care services at the va. we also have lieutenant general richard zellmer who's the deputy commander for man power and affairs for the marine corps and rear admiral david holloway whose the director of manpower personnel, training and education for the united states navy. we're also very pleased to welcome major general phil lopy who's the deputy commander for the joint task force capital medicine. we have also rear admiral dave smith who's the joint services sinner and we have the deputy surgeon general for the united states air force. i'm also pleased to have bonnie carol who, of course, know her as the rear of director of taps, tragedy assistance programs for survivors. and she and the general are cochairs of the dod task force on suicide prevention. so please join me in welcoming our distinguished guests. [applause] >> i can't tell you what it is to look across

i would like to give a special welcome to elena -- ellen embry. we're honored to have eric shinseki. we also have lieutenant general who is the deputy director of manpower. we're also pleased to welcome major general who is the deputy commander for the joint task force capital medicine. we also have dave smith who is the joint staff sgt. we also have the deputy surgeon general for the united states air force. we also have bonnie carroll, many of us know her as the director of the treasury assistance program for survivors. please join me in welcoming our distinguished guests. [applause] i cannot tell you what it is to look across this audience to note that of all of the things that are demanding our attention, that each of you would make this a priority. clearly, it speaks volumes. this is not business as usual. we are here over the next few days to learn, to share, to grow, to connect. as i look across this room, i see colleagues and friends. i see folks from across the services, army, navy, air force, marine corps, a coastguard, public health ser