It is with renewed optimism, that I begin my term as President of the Society of Air Force Clinical Surgeons. The past two years have been marked by threats to the very existence of our Society. Faced with declining membership, professional management that we could no longer afford, threats of no TDY support for the annual meeting, and near financial collapse, your Board of Governor's, under the stewardship of past president's Dave Arbutina and Jay Ellis, have staged a remarkable reengineering of the Society. Following successful meetings in San Antonio last year and in Biloxi this year the financial stability of the society has been restored. Under the guidance of our Executive Secretary, Rose Thomas, the day to day management of the Society is now secure. In short, we are emerging from a purely survival mode, to a position in which the Society can meet the needs of the membership. During the meeting in Biloxi, I distributed a membership survey that spelled out a list of goals that the 1999 Board of Governors developed for the society. Members were asked to indicate how important each of the goals was to them. The goals of the membership participating in the survey deemed important in order of emphasis were: 1. To provide representation of the views and concerns of the membership to Senior Air Force Leaders. 2. To provide high quality, stimulating military and non-military CME. 3. To provide a forum for residents and fellows to present original research. 4. To foster fellowship and esprit de corps. 5. To serve as a lifeline to geographically isolated members and provide a sounding board for those in the trenches. 6. To coordinate and encourage meaningful research activities within the Air Force. 7. To provide an opportunity for networking and mentorship 8. To serve as a conduit for dissemination of Military relevant emerging medical technology. The Society of Air Force Clinical Surgeons has a legacy of advocacy. It is my goal as your president to recapture that legacy. What better time to put forward your views and concerns than now? We are in a unique position, in that both our Surgeon General and Deputy Surgeon General, are surgeons and members of this society. It is time for us to speak with one voice, to elevate our concerns, opinions, and possible solutions to the many joint problems and fears we share. I can not guarantee that efforts made by the Society, on your behalf, will change the status quo, but I can certainly guarantee that if we do not voice our opinions, than no chance for change, reflecting your input, exists. I encourage you not to just share your concerns, but also your thoughts on solutions to our mutual problems as well. With the help of your Secretary, Mike Edwards, we are currently reworking the Society's Web Page (www.safcs.com). It is our goal in the next few months, to make this a fully functional site with chat room and bulletin board capability, allowing members a voice. In addition, sites for the Specialty Consultants, or links to their sites, will be available, providing improved access. It is my goal to collate the frequently asked questions and concerns and forward them to Generals Carlton and Randolph for input and post their replies on the web site. In addition the site will allow you to do such business with the Society as paying dues, registering for the annual meeting and submitting abstracts. Your Board of Governors recognizes that our primary responsibility is to the membership and we will make a concerted effort, during my tenure, to keep you informed. To this end, I would encourage all members to provide Rose with your current email and postal addresses (rosepreuit@aol.com) so that we can send you periodic updates throughout the year. Please feel free to contact me or any member of the board at any time. I hope to report to you, during my Presidential address at the Annual meeting in San Antonio (2-6 April 2001), that we have made substantial progress in restoring the vigor and vitality of our society. If I am to give that report, I will need input and help from each of you, the membership I have been elected to serve. I am optimistic that by working together we can speak loudly with unified voice to influence our own future. Lt. Col. Mark W. Bowyer SAFCS President 2000-2001 2008-2009 SAFCS President's Message 2006-2008 SAFCS President's Message 2003-2004 SAFCS President's Message 2002-2003 SAFCS President's Message 2001-2002 SAFCS President's Message 2000-2001 SAFCS President's Message 2006-2008 SAFCS President's Message 2004-2006 SAFCS President's Message 2003-2004 SAFCS President's Message 2002-2003 SAFCS President's Message 2001-2002 SAFCS President's Message