A ribbon-cutting to announce the naming of a new building in the Madigan Army Medical Center is in the offing.

The Preventive Medicine Building (Bldg. 9025), located just north of the center on 5th Street across from the just opened Evergreen Elementary School, will be named in honor of Brig. Gen. Guthrie Turner.

He enjoyed a distinguished military career culminating with his selection as the Army's first black physician promoted to the rank of brigadier general.

A flight surgeon and pilot, Turner was particularly proud of his master parachutist wings, and he continued to make jumps until his promotion to general.

But another institution also had special meaning for Turner.

The Madigan Army Medical Center was the place where he had completed his medical internship in 1953.

As Turner's career grew, in 1980 he became the commander of Madigan.  He served in that capacity until his retirement in 1983.

After retiring from the Army, he remained active in a number of service organizations until his passing in January 2014.

"He was the consummate commander," wrote Terry McCarl in a eulogy.  

"He was an advocate for everyone under his command, including those of us in the less visible, but still essential areas of preventive medicine, optometry, dentistry, veterinary medicine, etc."

The naming of the Preventive Medicine Clinical Services Building after Brig. Gen. Turner is fortuitous and most fitting.

Details on when the naming ceremony will be held are still in the planning phase.