Message I am writing to you regarding the upcoming FY 19 budget and the Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) which provides resources for biomedical research “enhancing the health and well-being of military Service members, Veterans, retirees, and their family members.” Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or ME/CFS, was an eligible topic area in 2011 but was ultimately removed despite a clinical presentation that is identical to Gulf War Illness and an estimated impact on 15,000 military servicemen and women. As you may know, ME/CFS is a complex disease with no known cause, treatment, diagnostic tool, or cure. The CDC estimates that up to 2.5 million Americans suffer from ME/CFS, and patients have lower quality of life scores than those with lung cancer, stroke, and rheumatoid arthritis. Studies show that ME/CFS costs the U.S. economy up to $24 billion per year. There are risk factors unique to military service that put our service members at higher risk for developing ME/CFS, such as living in extreme climates and environments, extreme physical exertion, exposure to foreign viruses, toxic chemicals and neurotoxins. Given the significant health, safety and economic impacts of ME/CFS on military servicemen and women, and the unique risks that military servicemen and women are exposed to, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) should be made an eligible research topic in the Peer- Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) targeted for biomedical research funding through the U.S. Department of Defense in Fiscal Year 2019. Please submit a written request to the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense to request the inclusion of ME/CFS in this program.