Ask Gerry Hince a simple question like "what's next for you to work on" and you'll get a simple, honest response.

"I don't know. What day is it? What day is it? I have a calendar that's full, but I'm there if anybody needs me."

Starting in 1971, Hince served her country for more than three decades in the Army, both active duty and reserves.

Every Thursday morning at American Legion Post 159 in Bryan, you'll find the colonel who now serves as a vice commander for the post. Coffee for veterans has become a tradition thanks to her efforts and those of others.

"As part of the leadership of the community, we can take care of them," Hince says of the Legion. "We're in a position where we know who to go to. If we can't, one-on-one, help them, we know of organizations that can."

No matter when they served, there's a close connection between the veterans Hince sees weekly.

"When you've been through basic, when you've been through war, when you've been through peace time together, and your spouses and your families have grown together, there's a sense of camaraderie that you don't find any place else in the world," she said.

After her lengthy military career, Gerry and husband John -- himself a veteran and Post 159's current commander -- moved to Aggieland, the place their kids had gone to college.

"We arrived here retired," John said. "I spent three or four months working in the yard and sitting on a patio when she walked in one day and said, 'are you ever going to get out of the house and do anything?' She was already getting involved."

And the reason for Gerry, as you might expect, is simple.

"I get involved because it helps people," she said. "I grew up in a household where my mom and dad taught us that if you've got talent and you've got gifts, then you better give it back because that's what God tells you to do."

Since the Hinces' arrival in the area in 2005, Gerry has volunteered at no less than a dozen organizations. From countless hours teaching and volunteering at St. Mary Catholic Church to her work at St. Joseph Regional Health Center organizing a variety of efforts, her leadership shines through. She's taught religious education, counseled couples and served on St. Joseph Manor's governance board.

Giving back through the Legion to those currently serving overseas is among her proudest achievements.

"We send boxes once a month to approximately 25 people," she said, explaining one of the efforts of the Military Family Support Group. "We try to throw in something like an American flag and notecards for the people to send. We use the priority boxes because they're the best. If anybody has any troops that are over there, all they have to do is give us a name and address and we guarantee we'll send boxes."

All of Hince's efforts are astounding enough. Now, factor in the year she had to take off because of treatment for breast cancer.

"The organizations still flourished," she said. "They didn't need Gerry Hince. Gerry Hince needed them, so that year off for health really helped me.

"When I hear somebody has cancer, I know right away they need a note. They need a note the first week. They need a note the third week. They need a note six months down the line because that's what I needed, so I'm there to do that for somebody else."

Husband John, himself now an active volunteer after that coaxing from his wife, says Gerry might just volunteer even more since her health issues.

"I think a brush with cancer gives you a sense of your own mortality," he said. "If I'm going to get something done, I can't wait. I've got to get it done now."

Right after the Thursday coffee at the Legion, you'll find a cancer-free Gerry and John at the Bush Library, guiding the visitors through the exhibits, welcoming them with a smile and an encouraging word, filling yet an another few hours of a busy woman's schedule, one she wouldn't have any other way.

"If you want to sit back and read, there's nothing wrong with that," Gerry said. "I have many friends who do that, but if you want to get involved, we'll use you, not abuse you. We will use you to the benefit of you and to us as a community."

The Jefferson Awards ceremony airs live Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. on News 3.