| Armed Services Blood Program Newsletter |
2 February 2010 |
| |
|
From the Desk of:
COL Francisco Rentas, Director, ASBPO
As National Blood Donor Month comes to an end we are continuously reminded that donors and supporters of the Armed Services Blood Program not only help save the lives of U.S. service members and their families, but also help those in need of blood worldwide.
This issue reports on the role played by the Armed Services Blood Program in helping Haitian earthquake victims, and highlights the 440th BSD, also known as the "Blood Runners." We pay tribute to Dr. Harold T. Meryman, a pioneer in blood freezing techniques who passed away this month at the age of 88, and finish up with more stories of donor support and donor recognition.
As always, I am so proud of the professionalism and dedication shown by those with a commitment to our vision: to provide blood products and services whenever and wherever needed. Warm regards,
COL Francisco Rentas
|
The ASBP Plays a Role in Relief Efforts for Haiti
 The Armed Services Blood Program is sending regular blood shipments to our military medical assets assisting in the relief efforts for earthquake ravaged Haiti. At present, blood products are being supplied almost daily to the Naval hospital in Guantanamo, the USS Bataan and the USNS Comfort, and the ASBP will continue to assist with needed blood products, as requested.
For the many donors who want to know if the ASBP needs more blood because of our assistance to Haiti, be assured that our current supply is sufficient and that, as always, we encourage donors to continue to give regularly.
Indeed, this tragedy highlights in a very compelling way, the importance of donations, particularly as January is National Blood Donor Month. It is the regular blood donor's gift of blood, part of the inventory in place, that is used in the immediate aftermath of a tragic event such as this. The regular donor gives without knowing that a natural disaster or some other catastrophe will occur. Therefore, we take this opportunity yet again, to say thank you for donating.
|
Remembering a Pioneer
 Dr. Harold Meryman, in 1957, testing blood-freezing techniques at the Naval Research Institute. Photographer Fritz Goro, LIFE Images Harold T. Meryman, MD, passionate biomedical researcher, and a pioneer in the field of cryobiology, passed away from natural causes at the age of 88 on January 10, 2010. An intellectual powerhouse, warm and witty, he will be missed greatly by those who knew him. "He was a gentleman, a scientist and some might say a bon vivant. Harry enjoyed his work, intellectual discussion and dissent, and was willing to listen to the ideas of a neophyte and be patient as he taught me the folly of my ways." stated COL(RET) Mike Fitzpatrick, Armed Services Blood Program Director (ASBP), 1999-2003, on his relationship with Dr. Meryman. To read more about Dr. Meryman at the ASBP official website, go to: www.militaryblood.dod.mil |
"Blood Runners": Highlighting the 440th BSD
 The 440th BSD, affectionately called the "Blood Runners", are a special unit that deploys by land, sea and air to provide emergency collection, manufacturing, storage and distribution of blood and blood products to Division, Corps, Echelons Above Corps (EAC), Joint Task Forces and Joint Medical Units.
The 440th BSD were activated at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas in 2002. Due to recent escalating operations, they have been kept very busy in Afghanistan, achieving some great firsts, including in October 2009, making liquid platelet products available in Kandahar for the first time. In addition to that achievement, the 440th BSD set a record as a unit to have shipped the most blood products to the most number of sites ever, doubled the platelet drawing capacity in Bagram, and doubled the stood up platelet collections in Kandahar.
The ASBP relies on dedicated and hard-working units like the 440th BSD to make sure the blood that you donate gets to our service men and women. We thank them for their outstanding efforts. Their success has no doubt made a tremendous impact in the role of saving lives.
|
USS Green Bay Continues Its Legacy of 'Winning Ways'
 Long before its commissioning in January 2009, the USS Green Bay (LPD 20), an amphibious transport dock ship, began supporting the Armed Services Blood Program (ASBP) while it was still a part of the Precommissioning Detachment (PCD) in San Diego. The crewmembers assigned to the PCD Green Bay began the tradition of donating blood when the bloodmobile from Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) arrived to conduct a drive. |
Robertson Blood Center Honors Donors And Organizations
 On Thursday, January 20, 2010, the Robertson Blood Center held the annual Blood Donor Recognition Ceremony, honoring dozens of top donors, organizations, and supporters on Fort Hood. January is National Blood Donor Month and ceremonies are held each year to recognize the efforts of those whose donations mean that troops and their families have the supply of blood they need.
The theme for this year's ceremony was "The Power of Blood Donors," in line with the Armed Services Blood Program's campaign for the year, "The Power of Blood". Lt. Col. Dennis Dombrowski, Robertson Blood Center's director said "Although a lot of hard work, testing, and scientific processing goes on behind the scenes, the bottom line is that without our great donors, there is no blood program. They are truly the power of this important mission."
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
