| Armed Services Blood Program Newsletter |
July 15, 2010 | |
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From the Desk of:
COL Francisco Rentas, Director, ASBPO | |
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In this month's newsletter, we share an exciting story about a new GPS equipped parachute delivery system designed to accurately deliver medical supplies and urgently needed blood to war fighters in battle.
We also highlight the need for blood during the summer months, a season when blood donations are historically low. Featuring stories from three ASBP blood donor centers which use innovative approaches to getting the call out for more donors, these stories inspire us to give blood not only during the summer months, but year-round.
Warm regards,
COL Francisco Rentas |
GPS Equipped Parachutes Deliver Blood From The Sky to Save Lives
 Up in the air, it's a bird, it's a plane, it's...blood? A new and exciting method to deliver blood through parachute drops may help quickly save the lives of military service members in theatre.
The Joint Medical Distance Support and Evacuation (JMDSE) Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) project- a U.S. military program comprised of Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E), U.S. Joint Forces Command, (USJFCOM), the Army, Navy, and Air Force-is working on a special delivery system designed to accurately deliver urgently needed blood to war fighters in battle. Blood banking officers from the Armed Services Blood Program are working with the program to test the effectiveness of these systems. The new delivery method would utilize the micro-light weight (up to 150lbs) and ultra-light weight (up to 699lbs) Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS) GPS-guided parachutes to deliver blood to service members in theatre. It is a significant development that if approved, will have life-saving consequences.
Read the entire article at the ASBP website.
Photo: Successful blood airdrop test using GPS equipped parachutes at the Yuma Proving Grounds, Ariz. |
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Save a Life This Summer - Give Blood!
 Blood donations typically decline during the summer season as folks take vacations and spend quality time with friends and family. In the military community, service members also deploy or change duty stations during the summer, another factor contributing to the downturn in donations. Keep blood donation at the top of your to-do list this summer and remember that we still need you! By donating blood to the Armed Services Blood Program during the summer and year-round, you directly impact the life of a service member in need of this precious commodity. |
Summer Fun in Europe = Blood Donation!
 Spending the summer in Europe, it sounds like a dream that travel agency brochures are made of. You can spend a weekend on the French Riviera, head to Livorno, Italy to camp, enjoy the mountains of Bavaria in Garmisch, Germany, or fly to the Canary Islands for more fun and sun! The service members and their families, retirees, and civilians based here in Europe have easy access to places most Americans only read about in books and see on TV, and during the summer, most of us take full advantage to make memories that will last a lifetime.
Although summer is a time for fun, it's also a time when blood donations are historically at a low. It's easy to understand why, when folks are busy enjoying well deserved vacations, however, the need for blood is continuous, and unfortunately, does not take a vacation. Coincidentally during this time, it is also the high-season for service members to change stations to new duty locations, another factor contributing to lulls in blood donation in the summer season.
The Armed Services Blood Bank Center - Europe asks donors to remember that we still need you! By keeping blood donation at top of your summer to-do list, you help ensure that the Armed Services Blood Program continues to meet the blood needs of those in our military community...worldwide!
Photo: TSgt Kristie Binard enjoys a summer evening in Garmsich, Germany. Binard is an avid supporter of the Armed Services Blood Program and is a whole blood and platelet donor. |
 Need a quick getaway? How would you like to be greeted with an enthusiastic "Aloha!" while enjoying delicious cheesecake and listening to relaxing Hawaiian music? If this sounds like your kind of getaway, stop by the Armed Services Blood Program blood drives in Edgewood, Md. Here, Mary Doak, an outgoing and passionate blood drive site coordinator works hard to coordinate themed blood drives that donors and staff-members alike are sure to enjoy.
A recent blood drive was held at the Chemical Demilitarization Training Facility on the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Edgewood, Md. Sponsored jointly by the Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center, (where Mary works), the U.S. Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense, and the U.S. Army Public Health Command, the drive was a huge success with over 100 units of blood collected; more than double the anticipated amount. Donors clearly enjoyed the Hawaiian theme, feeling as if they experienced a mini-vacation. In fact, many scheduled appointments for the next drive, excited to become regular blood donors.
Photo: Dedicated blood drive coordinator Mary Doak and SPC Bacon prepping for the Hawaiian themed blood drive in Edgewood, Md. |
The Need for Blood Takes No Vacation
 Looking for something rewarding to do this summer? The Armed Services Blood Program donor team at Camp Lejeune, N.C., invites you to give blood.
Why the special call for summer donors? During the summer season we often experience a significant decrease in blood donations. This is due to several factors. The larger military units and organizations at Camp Lejeune are either deployed or training to deploy in the fall, which takes many of our Marines to other bases for training exercises and limits their availability to give blood. Likewise, in addition to the families that have moved away while their spouses are deployed, many take vacations as their children are on summer break from school.
However, the need for blood makes no special allowances for vacation time, deployments or training. Our mission, "to supply life-saving blood and blood services to war-fighters and their family members" continues regardless of the time of year. So please remember, during the lazy days of summer, that we still need you, our loyal donors, to ensure that blood is there for our military family. Finally, a big thank you to all the units, organizations and donors that support us throughout the year. Visit the Camp Lejeune website to find out more about the Armed Services Blood Program at Camp Lejeune or to schedule an appointment. Photo: The Camp Lejeune Blood Donor team conducts a blood drive at the Combat Service Support School Camp Johnson. |
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