From the Desk of:  COL Francisco Rentas, Director, ASBPO

Whether they are donors, volunteers or staff members, we always look forward to seeing familiar faces at our blood donor centers.  Unfortunately, just after the new year began, the ASBP team lost one of those familiar faces.  The loss of Janet Daehn Roberts, a longtime ASBP employee, has saddened ASBP team members around the globe.  Her  dedication, shining personality and good spirits will be greatly missed by us all.   

In this issue, we focus on what some of our team members are doing around the world.  Maj. Madeline Sumera, chief of the Armed Services Blood Bank Center-Europe attended the 2011 EUCOM/AFRICOM Blood Coordinating Committee Meeting.  The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief team held a workshop in Laos, and one donor continues his quest to donate platelets to the ASBP.

The staff and soldiers of the Robertson Blood Center at Fort Hood, Texas, will greatly miss longtime employee and receptionist, Janet Daehn Roberts, who passed away just after the year began.  Her passing left a hole in both the hearts and daily operations of the blood donor center.

Roberts worked for the ASBP for over 15 years.

"Jan was a lovely lady with a big caring heart.  For so many years, she was a cornerstone at the Robertson Blood Center," said Col. Ronny Fryar, director of the Army Blood Program.

Read the entire article on the ASBP website. 

Photo: Janet Daehn Roberts, receptionist at the Robertson Blood Center, Fort Hood, Texas will be greatly missed by the entire ASBP community. 

By Maj. Madeline Sumera, Chief of the Armed Services Blood Bank Center-Europe

The U.S. European Command (EUCOM)  and  U.S. African Command  (AFRICOM) Blood Coordinating Committee semi-annual meeting was held recently in Stuttgart, Germany.  Col. John R. Andrus opened the meeting.  He is AFRICOM's chief of the medical division for operation and logistics.  The three-day conference gave the military blood banking community an opportunity to share key program achievements, provide updates and get briefings on upcoming events.   Medical planners from EUCOM and AFRICOM attended the meeting to give updates on upcoming field exercises and real world operations that may require blood support. 

Some highlights were the AFRICOM Command Surgeon, Col. Robert Miller's presentation on AFRICOM's medical operations and how blood supply is a critical component of that mission, as well as the Netherland Blood Program Director, Lt. Col. Dr. John Badloe's update on the NATO Working Group on blood and blood products. 

Kathy Elder, the Army Blood Program's quality assurance officer, provided information on the most common Food and Drug Administration inspection findings, and the Navy Blood Program's Director, Cmdr. Roland Fahie, gave an overview of the Navy's blood mission.   Col. Francisco Rentas, director of the ASBPO, presented the Blood Program Strategic Plan and highlighted key initiatives that promise to usher in a new era for the military blood community.   

From June 21, 2010 to July 2, 2010, the U.S. Pacific Command held a Blood Safety Technical Workshop at the Naviengkham Hotel Luang Prabang in Laos, as part of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.  During the workshop, 70 military and civilian participants from various blood centers and hospitals took part in lectures and practical sessions revolving around vital blood safety lessons.

Material discussed included infectious disease testing, antibody screening and ABO and Rh testing.  Before starting the discussions, participants were asked to take a short exam, the class average was just over 54 percent.  By the end of the workshop, test scores inceased to a class average of 80 percent--67 percent of the students scored above an 80 percent and 16 percent of the participants scored above a 90 percent. 

Picture This!

The ASBP Focal Point picture of the month

It was Jan. 18, 2011, at 8:30 a.m., when retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Edward Nelson arrived at Joint Base Lewis McChord, Wash.  Despite a gray and dreary morning, his wife insisted on coming along, and there was a good reason for it.  Her husband was about to complete his 100th platelet donation to the Armed Services Blood Program.

As a young sailor traveling the globe, Nelson started this quest many years ago.  When he first began donating, civilian blood centers would conduct blood drives dockside of the ship and he would donate, goading his fellow sailors to do the same.  As time went on he would donate on and off when he could, eventually retiring in Washington and donating with the local civilian donor center.

Read the entire article on the ASBP website.  

Photo:  Maj. Angel Colon (right), chief of the Armed Services Blood Bank Center-Pacific Northwest, presents retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Edward Nelson (left) with a Certificate of Appreciation for completing his 100th platelet donation.