Armed Services Blood Program Newsletter
April 12, 2011

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

March was yet another exciting month for the ASBP.  We traveled to New Orleans, La., to take part in the 2010 Society of Armed Forces Medical Laboratory Scientists Conference where we had the chance to discuss important military blood program topics, meet up with each of the 20 ASBP blood donor recruiters, and of course, enjoy the Louisiana sights!  To all those that attended the conference in New Orleans, and all those that continue to support the ASBP each month, thank you!  

 

Springtime is here and we will likely  experience an increase in operations and casualties in theater.  Your continued support, therefore, is greatly appreciated.

 

Highlights in this issue include a young civilian hero and Fort Hood's Robertson Blood Center in Texas bringing in spring.

  

Warm regards,

COL Francisco Rentas  

 

ASBP Attends 2011 SAFMLS Conference 
 

SAFMLS LogoFrom March 28, 2011 to April 1, 2011, personnel from the ASBP attended 2011 Society of Armed Forces Medical Laboratory Scientists Conference in New Orleans, La.  

 

On Monday, March 28, 2011, attendees were given a highlight of the activities of the ASBP. Director Col. Francisco Rentas, ASBP Deputy Director of Policy Lt. Cmdr. Corey Jenkins, and ASBP Deputy Director of Information Management Donald Dalheimer  shared success stories from Operation New Dawn and Operation Enduring Freedom and information technology and management initiatives.  

 

Additionally, Lt. Col. Martin A. Schriber, professor of surgery at Oregon Health and Science University spoke of his experiences with the Joint Theater Trauma System and Col. Richard H. McBride, Jr., commander of the 81st Diagnostics and Therapeutics Squadron at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., spoke of CENTCOM Blood Operations lessons learned.  Ending the session was Capt. Karen J. Buikema, chief of blood services at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Medical Center in Ohio, who spoke on her experiences in platelet collection at the NATO Role 3 Multinational Medical Unit. 

 

It was an exciting agenda and a great week in New Orleans.  The ASBPO team would like to send out a big thank you to all those who attended.

A Heartfelt Farewell from the Lackland Blood Donor Center

 

Master Sgt. BergMaster Sgt. Ricky Berg has been in the military for 21 years, and with that much experience, it is easy to see why he is great at what he does-lead and inspire.  As the non-commissioned officer-in-charge of the Lackland Blood Donor Center for over four years, Berg has been responsible for nearly 50 active duty, contractor and civilian personnel.  But perhaps the most impressive number on his resume is 45,000-that's how many units of blood the Lackland Blood Donor Center has collected since his arrival! 

 

"Master Sgt. Berg is unyielding in his pursuit of excellence, at work, off duty, in his leaders, in his airman and in every person that walks through the Lackland Blood Donor Center," said Tech. Sgt. Robert Luna, non-commissioned officer-in-charge of donor center operations. "He doesn't know how to fail, he just simply doesn't believe in the word. He is an excellent mentor and an avid student of everything."

 

Read the entire story on the ASBP website.

 

Photo: After 21 years with the military, Master Sgt. Ricky Berg, non-commissioned officer-in-charge of the Lackland Blood Donor Center, will be retiring.  His dedication and positive attidue will be greatly missed by all.

No Uniform Required 

The ASBP Focal Point civilian hero of the month!  

 

Brayden MeyerCamas High School senior, Brayden Meyer, needed a senior project to graduate.  He was having a hard time finding a topic, when an unfortunate family event occurred.  However, the event spurred an idea with Meyer, and soon, the student not only had an idea for a senior project, but a way of helping to save lives of service members worldwide.

 

Meyer's cousin, an Army soldier assigned to Joint Base Lewis McChord, Wash., whose name cannot be disclosed for security purposes, was injured during combat in Afghanistan, when a bullet cut through a main artery causing a large loss of blood.  He received an immediate transfusion in Afghanistan, and was then sent to Germany for further treatment.  While in Germany, the Armed Services Blood Bank Center-Europe, the Armed Services Blood Program blood donor center in Landstuhl, supplied him with the additional life-saving transfusions he needed.

 

Read the entire article on the ASBP website

Photo: Brayden Meyer, a Camas High School senior takes on the role of blood drive coordinator for a blood drive he used to honor his injured cousin, support deployed troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and complete his senior project at the same time. 

Picture This!

The ASBP Focal Point picture of the month

Blood Donor Recruiters attend SAFMLSBlood donor recruiters from all of the ASBP blood donor centers met up in New Orleans, La., for the 2010 Society of Armed Forces Medical Laboratory Scientists conference.   Recruiters, along with the ASBP creative team and leadership, teamed up to discuss important issues affecting the military blood program.  It was a great opportunity to reconnect with old friends, share stories and strategies, and meet some of the new recruiters to the program.  

 
Photo: Blood donor recruiters from all of the ASBP
blood donor centers gathered in New Orleans for the 2010 Society of Armed Forces Medical Laboratory conference.     

Bringing in Spring with a Rocking Team 

 

Korn visits Fort HoodIn January, the Fort Hood Robertson Blood Center rocked out National Blood Donor Month.  In March, the team and donors at Fort Hood found a way to bring in spring-rock style.

Military blood donors from all walks of life with a preference for modern rock music were treated to a star appearance by two of the world's top-selling bands on Tuesday, March 8, 2011.  Disturbed and Korn, who have sold more than 50 million albums combined, each lent an hour from their busy Music as a Weapon V tour to visit soldiers and sign autographs at Fort Hood, Texas.
 

 

Read the entire article on the  ASBP website.  

 

Photo: The Robertson Blood Center staff poses with the rock band Korn at Fort Hood, Texas, on March 8, 2011. 

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