| Armed Services Blood Program Newsletter |
5 June 2009 |
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From the Desk of:
COL Francisco Rentas, Director, ASBPO
I am very excited, yet humbled by this month's newsletter, as we take the time to feature some of the recent awards and recognitions our teams have received.
I would like to send a wholehearted thank you to all who took part in supporting the Armed Services Blood Program and am looking forward to more future successes.
Regards,
COL Francisco Rentas
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Events
ASWBPL- East
Imagine toiling away day-after-day
year-after-year, in a sterile lab or a giant warehouse, tucked behind a row of enormously competent, air transport stars, the C-17s, on an Air Force Base in New Jersey. You and your staff typically go unnoticed, but your job is vital.
Meet Major Guzman and his crew.
Stationed at McGuire Air Force Base,
they run a bustling hub of blood product transport for our hospitals in-theater. Their corner of McGuire is known as The Armed Services Whole Blood Processing Laboratory-East, and when a shipment of donated blood arrives, they spring into action ensuring the blood they receive
stays fresh, iced, tracked, packed for transport and sent swiftly off to the arm of the fighter in need.
On April 27th, the director of the Armed Services Blood Program, Colonel Frank Rentas, along with a group of military blood bank leaders from all the services, traveled from Washington D.C. to New Jersey in order to present a special achievement award to Major Guzman and his staff for their dedication and excellence.
As he presented the well-deserved award, COL Rentas reminded visitors and staff alike how important this group's work is to the mission of the blood program with these simple words: "Without you, our fighters might not get the chance to come back home."
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 Awards
At their annual conference in May, the Association of Donor Recruitment Professionals (ADRP) named ASBP's ad campaign "What Makes You Think It's Not About You?" as the first place winner in
the Best Ad Campaign for 2009 category.
This ad campaign featured donors, volunteers, and blood recipients with an underlying message that regardless of your affiliation with the ASBP, you too can save lives.
The ADRP Award Committee of ten deliberated over a total of six ad campaign submissions which came from various blood collection agencies across the United States.
"I am very proud of the marketing team as they have ultimately achieved their goal- to raise awareness of the important need for blood," said COL Francisco Rentas, ASBPO Director.
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Awards
737th Training Group Receives AABB's 2009 Award of Merit
 The
737th Training Group was selected for the AABB's 2009 Award of Merit in the Group Category
for support of a blood donor center.
This is a very prestigious honor as the AABB represents the entire US
and Canada, in addition to many other countries. The AABB is one of two major accrediting
agencies of laboratories in the nation.
The 737th Training Group is responsible for United States Air Force
Basic Military Training (USAF BMT). Year-round, USAF BMT gives all 45,000 airmen entering the USAF the time
and opportunity during their seventh training week to donate blood at ASBP's Lackland Blood Donor Center (LBDC). USAF
BMT has a prestigious and extensive history of utmost dedication in their
support of the LBDC over the past 50 years. This is truly phenomenal support, representing an inherent understanding
of the importance of the vital blood mission.
Thank you to the 737th Training Group for your ongoing support and congratulations on an honor well deserved.
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Honors
Robertson Blood Center's SPC Walden Receives Army Achievement Medal
SPC Heather Walden has recently earned an Army Achievement Medal, a recognition medal awarded by the United States Army to individuals who have gone over and above their expected performance. SPC Walden was recommended for this medal by the 932nd Blood Detachment, for which she serves as the lead trainer for blood collections in a field environment.
The 932nd Blood Detachment set up field equipment out in the woods on Fort Hood, TX, for skill exercises they will need, as they are deploying to Afghanistan soon.
While observing the detachment's operation, SPC Walden gave a professional class and coached a hands-on demonstration of how blood is collected in a theater environment.
Congratulations SPC Walden on a job well done!
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 Blood Donor Center Profile
 Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, OH
AboutThe Wright-Patterson Blood Donor Center has been successfully collecting blood for the ASBP since 1985, with a current goal to collect 600 units of blood each month. Responsible for Wright-Patterson's ongoing success are about 20 hardworking staff members which also include mobile blood drive members. Blood Donor RecruiterDavid Thomas, (937) 257-1038
DID YOU KNOW? The Wright-Patterson Blood Collecting Team
is hitting the road for a 12-hour trip to collect blood at a St. Paul, Minnesota annual event. This
year the state of Minnesota honors the Vietnam era veterans with a festival
on the capitol grounds and Wright-Patterson will be representing the
ASBP with a blood drive in nearby St. Paul Armory, home of the Minnesota
Air National Guard Headquarters. The team was invited by the president of
the non-profit organization Families United for the Troops and their Mission, Merrilee Carlson, also known as Shrek's mom. The event
is expected to draw upwards of 2500 people as the Vietnam Wall makes
its circuit through the city and should prove to provide a couple hundred
pints of blood for the troops serving their country right now. A special
donor t-shirt has been designed and delivered just for this event. The
donor team is excited about traveling to the land of 10,000
lakes and working hard to service the proud people of Minnesota who
want to do what they can to make sure the troops get home safely.
If you would like to give blood at the Wright-Patterson Blood Donor Center, please visit the ASBP Web site and click on the Give Blood Now button. |
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