Great Falls Tribune from Great Falls, Montana • Page 5

Monday. February 10, 2003 GREAT FALLS TRIBUNE WWW.GREATFALLSTRIBUNE.COM 5, Section A Goodbyes: Children left behind Damage: Crew aware Society of firefighters, but other )) FROM 1A willingness to serve. "I can't tell you how honored and proud I am that my unit showed up to the man," he said. Reporting to Fort Lewis will be 119 members of his company, said Hare, but only 75 will come from Montana units, primarily the ones in Great Falls and members will fill in for me," he said. Like Red Horn, Pfc.

Andrew Ford of Columbia Falls has no children to worry about. "I'm pretty excited about this Rcd Horn and my family is very supportive, but they're not Kalispell. The rest will be from out-of-state quartermaster detachments. The call-up came as Hare's state job in Helena ended, which was convenient really happy about it," he said. "They'd rather see me home safe." For Sgt.

1st Class Lani DeSmet, a special education Hare FROM 1A Allen, said one of the Columbia's astronauts, David M. Brown, had expressed concern about the potential for debris damage to the left wing in an e-mail to his brother, Douglas, who lives in Arlington, Va. Reached by telephone, Douglas Brown would not comment on his conversation with the senator, and NASA said it is up to the families to release private e-mails. Allen's office said the senator had not seen the e-mail to Douglas Brown. In separate news conferences last week, Ron Ditte-more, NASA's shuttle program manager, was asked twice about how much specific information the crew had received, or requested, about the debris incident.

Dittemore said he did not have those details, but was confident the crew had been fully briefed: "Our policy is that we tell the crew everything," Dittemore said Wednesday. "We don't hold anything back from the commander on the scene. He gets everything that we know. And we also provide the commander and the crew the rationale, so they have a good understanding of why we believe things are OK." Asked again Friday, Dittemore still was unable to provide details. But he did say that mission controllers in all likelihood would have informed the crew about the incident by voice, then followed up with an e-mail message, probably with "a little bit more detail so that they can read it." In the course of the flight, NASA officials said, the crew's main concerns were overwhelmingly related to the science experiments on board and a few annoying technical mishaps.

It was only at the very end that anything seemed amiss. Eliezer Wolferman, father of the Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, said NASA officials told his family that the Columbia crew probably had 60 to 90 seconds of realizing something was wrong before the shuttle disintegrated. "These seconds are always spinning around in my head," Wolferman told the London Evening Standard. "It's very difficult, as if I'm with them, and I try to imagine what they went through. One second is like 20 years.

I can't explain it. It's hell, hell in the sky." TRIBUNE PHOTO BY JOHN W. LISTON Cpl. Nicholas Reiss, right, and Sgt. William Brooks load supplies as they ready the 889th Quartermaster Company of the Army Reserve for active duty Sunday in Great Falls.

Ford teacher at Lewis and Clark Elementary School, it has been important to raise her children, 9 and 7 years old, to understand the Army code of think it's fun," "My children know the impor- for him. "Financially this was a good thing," he said. "But we didn't need to go to war to put food on my table." Hare was a Marine for 12 years and a drill sergeant for two before joining the Army Reserve six years ago, so his kids now 15, 12 and 10 are kind of used to seeing him leave. "They know it's my job," he said. "But the last time I left, I could pat them on the head.

"Now they're my buddies so it was kind of rough," he said. Spc. 4 Angela said Fremin. "But my wife is a little nervous." Families have a hard time dealing with deployments, said Carla Holland, mother of Spc. 4 Justin Gladue.

"I was I 1 tance of courage," L'- said DeSmet. Vil And they 4 understand the importance of sharing democracy with others Fremin DeSmet Shrider said his family is worried about him, but he warned them he'd probably go overseas. "This is a whole new experience for me," he said. "I'm excited." And Staff Sgt. Grant Leland also is interrupting his study of theology.

"I'm leaving two businesses and a few uncompleted projects behind," he said. "We were looking into renovating the kitchen, tearing out a wall and putting a lift into our church." Leland was also on the board of New Life Fellowship when pastor Laurie Moore recently preached a sermon: "Is New Life Fellowship Really a Safe Place to Worship?" "The whole board has either had deaths in the family, health problems or financial problems," said Leland. "Then I got my marching orders. "I don't know what I'll find when I get back," he added, "but at least I'll be there to help." A bachelor, Leland doesn't have to worry about kids, but many do. Sgt.

1st Class Randy Olsen of Great Falls, one of three full-time Army Reserve Duran, a 29-year-old single mother from Havre, will leave her two boys Tavoris, 5, and Elias, 4 with her parents. Her parents are "sad to see me go, less fortunate, said DeSmet, who had an active-duty military career of 23 years before joining the Army Reserve 18 months ago. "We all know that freedom isn't a given," she said. "It's a privilege. And others deserve that privilege too." As the unit prepared to leave, several members Lefebre: Suffers seizures Duran To write expressed concern about the anti-war sentiment they felt in the community.

"One thing that I'd like to see is the community put up yellow ribbons to show Get-well letters to Rick Lefebre can be mailed to John and Carole Lefebre, Rick's parents, at 800 4th Ave. S.W., Great Falls, MT 59404. shocked," she said. "I was more concerned about it than Justin, who didn't know how to feel, whether he was scared or just relieved to finally hear something." Gladue, 21, worked in the maintenance department at JCPenney, said his mother, but there's been a streak of patriotism in him for a long time. "Justin has always been talking about being in the service," said Holland.

"When he was 17, he just came home one day and told us he had joined the Army Reserve." A quiet young man, Gladue spent his time with a few close friends, said his mother. But Pfc. Patrick Fey was an extrovert. "There'll be a big empty spot," said his father, Victor Fey. "He was very active.

He had a lot of friends who were always over at the house working on their vehicles or something." Patrick Fey worked in a local auto body shop, said his father, but was realistic about the probability of active duty. "We were shocked," said his father, "but we knew it was coming. It was only a matter of time." Pvt. Ivan Red Horn of Browning said he was excited about the adventure. "I'm a member of the Warrior Hodge said Tammie their support but they enjoy my boys," said Duran.

Her boys don't quite understand what's going on, she said. "They just know I'm going to the Army and I'm going to be gone for a long time," said Duran. "When I told them, my youngest one told me to hurry up and come back." Duran is interrupting a college career. She had been majoring in business technology at MSU Northern-Havre and is scheduled to graduate in May. "I'm kind of scared, but it's what I've trained for," Duran said.

"And I'm very sad at leaving my little boys behind." Spc. 4 James Shrider of Ronan also is interrupting a college education. He had been studying mechanical engineering at MSU. "They told us there was a pretty good chance we'd be shipped out, so I didn't return this semester," said Shrider, who has been working in a sporting good store. employees, is reluctantly leaving his 16-year-old and 12-year-old with wife Wanda.

"They haven't said a lot," said Olsen. "I was on Olsen Hodge. During their send-off, Lt. Col. Dave Dreher, commanding officer of the 370th Quartermaster Battalion on Gore Hill, told members of his departing company how proud he was of them.

"We're soldiers who have been called to orders," said Brig. Gen. Peter S. Cook, deputy commander of the 96th Regional Support Command in Salt Lake City. "We've been trained as citizen-soldiers, the true definition of a patriot." FROM 1A was called for, she said.

Surgery is scheduled to be performed at the University of California at San Francisco by accomplished surgeon Mitchel S. Berger, M.D. "He's going to take as much tumor out as possible," Kelli Lefebre said. Rick Lefebre will remain awake during the surgery, so Berger and other doctors can talk to him and make sure no vital parts of the brain are touched as the tumor is removed. "It's in such a critical area," his wife explained.

Mapping the brain with magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, will help guide the surgeon. The tumor is low-grade grade 2 on a scale of 4, with 4 being the worst and has grown slowly. But it has begun pushing on more of the brain, making talking and finding words more difficult. "My feelings aren't as best as they could be," Rick Lefebre said last week. Lefebre quit boxing at age 20, and worked as a carpenter and cabinet installer before becoming disabled.

He has health insurance that will cover his surgery. In the late 1990s, his tumor was the size of a golf ball. It has enlarged, and has spread in a fingerlike pattern, his wife said. Seizures are increasingly common. "When he was diagnosed, he only had them in his sleep," she said.

Now they can happen active duty for 15 years, so this is nothing new." Staff Sgt. Charles Fremin of Harlowton, who works for Rocky Mountain Cookware, will leave their three kids with his wife. "My kids are still young so they "The last three months have been rough," she said. He is expected to be hospitalized for three to five days, and will spend several weeks in all in San Francisco. The broad-shouldered Lefebre is hoping to return to a robust and active life.

The Lefebres are grateful for family, friends and for the Internet, which has helped them learn about brain tumors and put them in touch with other people in a similar spot. They located a former New York City police officer with a grade 3 tumor who has survived for 17 years. "He was supposed to die," she said. But he didn't. Survival rates for people with brain tumors are getting longer.

Plenty of area residents are pulling for Rick Lefebre. He is "easy to get attached to," Kelli Lefebvre said. "Everybody likes him." The couple's sixth wedding anniversary is Saturday. They have a 4-year-old daughter, Kelli, plus step-children Chelcea, 10, Brittani, 15, and Ben, 19. Also waiting back home will be their cocker spaniel, Sadie, who loves following Rick Lefebre around.

"She sticks like glue," Kelli Lefebre said. Montana has 5,400 eligible for active duty the heavy-duty field construction unit. Red Horse is expected to return in March, conditions permitting. Another 40 airmen with the base combat support units are also deployed. Malmstrom's Public Information Officer, Capt.

Dave Kurle, said the base expects to send another 270 airmen overseas in March for a six-month tour of duty. Helena. Air National Guard Two units make up the Air National Guard, but both have been active recently. The 120th Fighter Wing became one of the first units to go from peacetime operations to war readiness, flying combat air patrols over the United States and its borders. And more than 145 members of the unit based on Gore Hill recently served a 45-day stint in Southwest Asia, the unit's largest deployment since the Korean War.

The 219th Red Horse is a field construction unit. About 120 soldiers are completing a 180-day tour of duty based in the region of Afghanistan. nies and also in Helena. The l-190th Field Artillery Battalion is headquartered in Billings, with Battery A in Miles City, Battery in Culbertson, and Battery in Malta. A battery usually ranges in size from 100 to 130 soldiers.

The 495th Transportation Battalion in Kalispell consists of the following companies: 639th Quartermaster in Billings, 443rd Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants in Billings, 3669th Maintenance of Helena, and 631st Chemical in Butte. Approximately 45 soldiers from the 495th headquarters battalion have been called into active duty effective today, then move to Fort Lewis, as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. About 35 members of the 443rd POL Co. have been mobilized to augment base security for the 120th Fighter Wing in Great Falls. They are expected in Great Falls this week.

Troop of the 163rd Cavalry is a tank unit headquartered in Make A Heart Flutter ENJOY th. Efficiency E3 Active Duty -lief man's flowers 1426 14th Street S.W. 452-6489888-558-9315 Malmstrom Air Force Base currently has 270 airmen deployed overseas, including the 230-per-son 819th Red Horse Squadrom, Connte Bym-Smitii. Mr Take Exit off Interstate 3 1 5 For the BEST Equipment And Highest Quality Installation all ri-Kcvs striates By Tribune Staff Montana has about 5,400 "weekend warriors" who may be called into active duty as needed. There were about 1,900 members of the U.S.

Army Reserve before mobilizations began. And there are about 3,500 members of the National Guard, including 2,500 in the Army National Guard and another 1,000 in the Air National Guard. U.S. Army Reserves The 652nd Area Support Group in Helena coordinates operations for the state's roughly 1,900 Army Reservists. Also in Helena are the 747th Adjutant General Co.

(Postal); companies typically range from 110 to 150 members. The 4225th US Army Hospital has about 100 members, 10 of whom have already been mobilized. In Great Falls, the 370th Quartermaster Battalion has about 40 soldiers and commands the 889th Quartermaster a 119-member unit that received mobilization orders on Tuesday. In Missoula, the 379 Engineer Battalion commands three engineer detachments: the 279th, the 347th and the 747th. The headquarters unit is about 40 soldiers, while each detachment has about 50 soldiers.

Fifty eight soldiers have already been mobilized. There are also three movement control teams in Missoula the 814th, 823rd and 881st that typically contain 13 soldiers who monitor the movement of materials through a naval, air or ground port. The 823rd Transportation Detatchment was activated, as of today. And in Billings, the 125th Ordinance Battalion commands the 592nd Ordinance Co. On Jan.

23, 161 members of that company received orders to report to Fort Carson, Colo. 1 Army National Guard The 95th Troop Command is headquartered in Helena. It is comprised of five major units: The l-163rd Infantry Battalion is based in Bozeman. A battalion usually consists of about 500 soldiers. Company A is stationed in Billings, Company in Great Falls and Company in Missoula.

A company usually ranges in size from 100 to 130 soldiers. The l-189th Combat Support Aviation Battalion is based in Helena. It's made up of compa MATCH YOUR 1 I DOWN PAYMENT I HinJ9 tfVH SALE WX lSl DIAMONDS A StJr. Gs xv7 nlyi loy E-rciBi-pttiiK- --'arc- MM i ureat i-aus 453-491 1 1 1 i ti tor i4 ei nuf Upper Le iwtocmrar Acrow from K-SmIs 1 Holiday Villaoe Mail fW HI SiM" 1 Gfl)G its 1 Liu Thomas MoKTGWt CONSU.TAIT Den ni Secord Awt. 1 104 2nd Street Suite 100 Great Falls, MT 59401 406-216-6200 Fax 406-216-0077 Toll Free 877-615-1488 "a Thursday 9pm dfel6.