Soldiers collect blood to support CENTCOM

by Senior Airman Nick Wilson
509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

12/22/2011 - WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo -- Soldiers from the Fort Leonard Wood Blood Donor Center held a blood drive at Whiteman Air Force Base's community activity center Dec. 21 as part of the Armed Services Blood Program. The ASBP is a conjoined military program from each service branch that collectively gets donors from different locations across the United States and ships to units overseas for contingency operations.

"This blood here will be targeted for United States Central Command's blood mission which is over in Iraq and Afghanistan," said U.S. Army Capt. James E. Burke, Fort Leonard Wood Blood Donor Center officer in charge. "Our collections here will be flown out this afternoon to a private processing station down at Fort Hood, Texas. They will process this blood in 1 to 2 days and they will go straight to McGuire Air Force Base."

According to Burke, the blood will be sent to CENTCOM's bases by the end of the week.

Approximately 100 volunteers gave blood and contributed to a total of 72 pints. The next time members from Fort Leonard Wood's Blood Donor Center can be expected to come back to host another blood drive will be in February.

"The donor can donate a whole unit of blood which is what we will collect today every 57 days," Burke said. "When they donate here today, the next time we come we can be sure that they can donate once again."

All excess blood leftover from the CENTCOM's mission will be distributed among military treatment facilities in the U.S. and overseas.

"Units of blood that are collected here will stay within the military," Burke said. "So those donors who come out and want their blood to go to military members can be assured that the blood they donate today will go to military members. We with the armed services blood program are here to take care of our military members to ensure that they had an adequate and safe blood supply."

Prior to donating blood, members participated in a screening to ensure they were healthy and able to give blood. Depending on how busy the blood drive is, the blood giving process for one donor takes about an hour from start to finish.

"We'll do an initial screening first just to see if you had any overseas time, what kind of medications you are on, if you had any tattoos or piercings," said Staff Sgt. Torrey Woodcock, Fort Leonard Wood Blood Donor Center medical laboratory technician. "Once you pass the screening process, you'll do the quick interview for your medical history and basic administrative data. From there, you'll get your vitals taken and a bag issued to you and you pass all those stations then you'll actually donate blood. The actual donation takes about 5-15 minutes, then you'll have juice and cookies and then we'll ensure you're good to go after about 15 minutes and then you're done."

Members are asked not to engage in rigorous physical training for at least 24 hours after giving blood and to drink plenty of water at least a day before attending the blood drive.
"Water helps your hydration and it helps the donation process," Woodcock said. "If you have a lot of fluids in your body, preferably water. It's just going to help the blood flow a little bit quicker than it normally would. And there is no smoking for a half an hour after donation."

The participants that volunteered to donate blood were proud to give back to those serving overseas through donating blood.

"I think it's important to help out and it's a great thing to do," said Tech. Sgt. Travis Trudeau, 442nd Maintenance Squadron armament specialist. "I'm not overseas right now, so this is the little bit I can do for those who are."