Governor Visits Carson Troops
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Vol. 63, No. 14 Published in the interest of the 7th Infantry Division and Fort Carson community April 8, 2005 Visitisit thethe FortFort CarsonCarson WWeb site at www.carson.army.mil Governor visits Carson troops by Sgt. Jon Wiley Mountaineer staff Members of the Colorado Army National Guard had the opportunity to spend some time with their commander-in-chief at Fort Carson Saturday. Gov. Bill Owens visited the Mountain Post to watch the troops train. “I’m really proud of what these men and women do” Owens said. “I’m down here today to meet some of them and thank them for their service to our state and our country.” As the Colorado Guard’s commander-in-chief, Owens can call any of its 7,000 members at any time. This places a responsibility on him to ensure they are ready to go, he said. Air Force Maj. Gen. Mason Whitney, adjutant gener- al of Colorado, said Owens makes it a point to be famil- iar with the Guard’s mission capabilities. “It’s important for him to know what we have to add to our national defense,” Whitney said. Since the onset of the Global War on Terror, Colorado National Guard Soldiers have deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and various locations in the continental United States. Some were activated to conduct force protection missions at Fort Photo by Sgt. Jon Wiley Carson. Guard Soldiers did much of their training for Gov. Bill Owens, middle, and Air Force Maj. Gen. Mason Whitney, adjutant general of these missions at the Mountain Post. Colorado, promote Pvt. Ryan Norfolk, Colorado Army National Guard, to private first “Today, it’s a total force. It’s not just the regular Army class Saturday. Owens and Whitney promoted several Soldiers during their visit to Fort and the National Guard. It’s one Army,” Owens said. Carson to observe Guard training. Father, son reunite in Kuwaiti desert by Sgt. 1st Class Donald Sparks Kelton left for Fort Knox, Ky., to become his middle son, Stanley Jr., also a service- he’d give his son during their reunion. 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment PAO an armored crewmember. member while in Kuwait. He talked to “I just want to make sure he remem- For many parents, after saying The elder Gillens, assigned to the both sons after finding out he was deploy- bers all the things and values he was goodbye to their children departing for 412th Replacement Company, deployed ing and discussed the possibility of all taught growing up,” Gillens said. “As military service, the chance to see them to Kuwait December, four months prior to three meeting each other in Kuwait. long as he does that, he’ll be fine.” in uniform usually takes place at basic his son’s arrival in March with the 3rd “It would have been a nice family Upon entering his tent and noticing training graduation or when they come Armored Cavalry Regiment. reunion, but it didn’t happen,” his father standing at his bunk, the home on leave. “Before he left I told him that not Gillens said. younger Gillens revealed a huge smile However, Sgt. 1st Class Stanley long after completing his training, he’d Despite not being able to see one son, that only a child can give a parent. Gillens had to travel across the globe probably be going to Iraq,” Gillens said. the opportunity to see Kelton as a Soldier “I couldn’t even talk, I was very from Eutawville, S.C., to Camp Buehring “He said he understood that, but it’s meant a great deal for him. The day prior excited,” Gillens said. “I can’t even think located in Udairi, Kuwait, to see his son, something he wanted to do.” to seeing his “baby boy,” Gillens reflected straight right now.” Pfc. Kelton Gillens. The reunion took The elder Gillens, a veteran of Desert on Easter Sundays past with his family in place March 28, seven months after Shield/Storm, hoped he would also see South Carolina and pondered what advice Reunite, Page 9 INSIDE THE Feature Happenings MOUNTAINEER Training holiday Opinion/Editorial As April 15 is a training Living wills. Page 2 holiday, next week’s Military Mountaineer will be Medal of Honor. Page 5 published Thursday, which is Community also the deadline for items Youth sponsorship. Page 11 for the April 22 issue. Sports Soldiers from 3rd Brigade Pueblo aircraft museum has Wrestling. Page 31 Combat Team train to survive. Army, Air Force aircraft and See Pages 20 and 21. Pueblo Army Air Base history. Post Weather hotline: See Pages 27 and 28. 526-0096 MOUNTAINEER 2 April 8, 2005 Opinion/Editorial Life or death ... Living wills make decisions easier Commentary by Sgt. Jon Wiley Drafting a living will is a little more compli- every passing year, the chances of recovering from Mountaineer staff cated than just scrawling notes on notebook a coma may be much higher a decade from now, If you’re like most people, you have a list of paper and stuffing it in an envelope with the which could affect your advanced medical direc- things you know you should do, and you plan on instructions: open in case of grave illness or tives. No problem — don’t let that stop you from doing them one of these days, but you just haven’t injury. Living wills are legal documents, so you making up your mind today. Just keep your living gotten around to doing them quite yet. will probably need the help of an attorney to will current with advancing medical trends. At the top of some people’s list is eating better draft one that stands up to scrutiny should that Another important document you may want to and starting an exercise program. At the top of become necessary. draft regarding future medical care is a Durable others is starting a savings account and putting Laws governing the formation and authoriza- Healthcare Power of Attorney. This document away money for a down payment on a house or a tion of living wills vary from state to state. In enables you to appoint an agent who can make child’s college tuition. Topping the list of still oth- Colorado, the statute that governs them is the health care decisions for you should you become ers (mostly diehard procrastinators like me) is fil- Medical Treatment Decision Act. incapacitated or otherwise unable to communicate ing a 2004 federal income tax return and paying Even though some consider it controversial your wishes regarding medical care. the bills that were due on the first. for a doctor not to do everything within his or With a Durable Healthcare Power of Attorney Regardless of the other items you have on your her power to keep a patient alive, the MTDA in place, the question of who has the ultimate list, you should consider adding another one (if allows a person to state that they choose to forgo say-so about enforcing your medical wishes in you haven’t already) — drafting a living will. life-sustaining procedures in certain or all cir- your absence becomes moot. Some may want Due to the Terri Schiavo case, which has dom- cumstances. The rationale for this law is based on their spouse to make medical decisions for them, inated the national news for the past few weeks, the state’s recognition of the basic legal right and others may want a parent, sibling or even many of you have probably already thought about each person has to decide what may be done to close friend to do so. Don’t leave this matter this, but it’s important that you do more than just his or her body. This includes the right to refuse unresolved for your loved ones. think about it. medical care or treatment, even when it is neces- If the Terri Schaivo case has taught us any- After all, if your doctors and loved ones could sary to sustain life. thing, it is the importance of clarity when it comes read your mind, there would be no need to leave a Under the MTDA, a living will is only valid to who has the right to make the final decision record of what kind of medical treatment you after two physicians certify that a patient has a about medical care. Make a decision about this, would want to receive should you become incapac- terminal condition and has been unconscious, and then make that decision known. Draft a itated. You should actually take the plunge and put comatose or otherwise unable to make or com- Durable Healthcare Power of Attorney. your wishes into writing. municate decisions regarding care for a period of As has often been quipped, death is a lot like seven days. taxes. It’s one of life’s few certainties. Unlike Fort Carson Legal Assistance If these conditions are met, and you have taxes, however, it’s easy to think that its deadline drafted a living will, doctors will refer to it and is far, far into the future. That may be, and may we Hours: Mondays through provide medical care accordingly. all live to the ripe old age of 100, but then again, An important thing to remember is that you we may not. For the sake of certainity, it’s best to Thursdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. can revoke a living will at any time. If you decide quit procastinating and draft a living will. you don’t want to receive artificial nourishment Fort Carson’s Legal Assistance can help you Appointments: By phone through a feeding tube now, but later decide you draft a living will and or a medical power of attor- Thursdays, 526-5761.