| Armed Services Blood Program Newsletter |
September 6, 2011 | |
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From the Desk of:
COL Francisco Rentas, Director, ASBPO
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The last few months have been filled with successes overseas, changes at home, and lots of dedicated blood donors worldwide.
This month, we congratulate the recipients of the Meritorious Unit
Commendation--the 7220th Blood Support Detachment. Their work in the Afghanistan theater of operations saved many lives. We say goodbye to Dr. Rodney Michael, one of the leading program managers in military medicine, two longtime Armed Services Blood Program blood donor recruiters, and our longtime marketing lead, Ms. Melissa Yu, who has left to pursue a career with the Food and Drug Administration. We also welcome aboard LCDR Aaron Harding who will become ASBPO's Deputy Director for Policy in October, several new recruiters, and fill you in on just a few of the summer's most dedicated donors.
As the summer begins to wind down, we are eagerly looking forward to see how those summer successes, changes, and donors shape the military blood program.
Warm regards,
COL Francisco Rentas
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7220th Blood Support Detachment Wins Meritorious Unit Commendation
 "If there is ever a need for world-class medical service on the battlefield, the 7220th Blood Support Detachment will volunteer for and execute the mission above standard," said task force commander, Col. John P. Collins, in his unit award recommendation.
The 7220th Blood Support Detachment conducted split-base operations in Bagram and Kandahar Air Fields providing blood products to more than 37 U.S. Armed Forces sites in Afghanistan, as well as its coalition partners--no small task for a unit of 14 people. During their tour of duty, from June 2010 to May 2011, this unit exceeded its goals, consistently going above and beyond expectations, despite their size, thus earning them the Meritorious Unit Commendation.
This prestigious commendation is awarded to a U.S. military unit that has displayed exceptional services for at least six consecutive months during a period of military operations. Service in a combat zone is not required, but must nevertheless be directly related to the combat effort, and the unit should display outstanding devotion and superior performance of difficult tasks to set it apart from other units with similar missions: an apt description for the service of the 7220th Blood Support Detachment.
Read the entire story on the ASBP website.
Photo: Members of the 7220th Blood Support Detachment, Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan.
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Great Inspiration Retires from Military Medicine
Dr. Rodney Michael has been a visionary in military medicine for over 40 years, providing expert management for infectious disease as well as blood product research and development in a variety of medical care centers. He developed HIV vaccine studies along with a clinical study facility in Thailand, served as the product manager for blood products at the U.S. Army Medical Material Development Activity, and has been a driving force behind several leading blood product efforts, including extended shelf-life red blood cells, frozen platelets and freeze-dried plasma.
In a few weeks Michael will retire from military medicine and his absence will be felt.
"I didn't think he was going to do it," said Liz Barrows, former junior project manager with Michael at the U.S. Army Medical Material Development Activity. "He was the kind of guy that said: 'Let's go forward. Are we going in the right direction? Yes? Then let's keep going forward.' He has so much direction and clarity."
"What impressed me most about Rod from the first time I met him in 2002 was his obvious passion and utmost dedication to taking care of the war fighter," said Army Col. Frank Rentas, director of the Armed Services Blood Program Office.
Read the entire story on the ASBP website.
Photo: Dr. Rodney Michael retires after spending 40 years as a visionary in military medicine.
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A Busy Month for the Armed Services Blood Program
Saying Farewell to Familiar Faces, Welcoming New Faces, Realigning Blood Donor Centers
In August, the Armed Services Blood Program underwent several changes. We said goodbye to some dear friends and co-workers but have welcomed aboard--and welcomed back--several new ones.
After spending seven years with the Armed Services Blood Program, Perry Jefferies, former blood donor recruiter at the Robertson Blood Center, Fort Hood, Texas, will be moving on to the next step in his career working as a Texvet initiative manager with the Texas A&M University Health Science Center in Round Rock, Texas. After nine years, Cal Glazier from the Camp Lejeune Blood Donor Center has moved on to the Veterans Hospital in Charelston, S.C. Both Perry and Cal will be greatly missed, but their hard work and dedication to the military blood program will not be forgotten. Good luck to you both!
Although Perry and Cal will be missed, the Armed Services Blood Program is excited to introduce Carl Norman to the Fort Leonard Wood Blood Donor Center in Missouri. We are also welcoming back Frederick Lumzy who has returned to Fort Benning, Ga., after his deployment. Also joining our team, at least temporarily, are Staff Sgt. Michael Whiteley at Fort Hood, Texas, and Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Erik Torres at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
We also said farewell to our marketing lead, Melissa Yu, who has spent the past five years shaping the way this program is seen throughout the world. Her outstanding donor outreach achievements are easily recognized in the award winning ad campaigns, top notch graphics, website design and donor outreach materials she has produced. Ms. Yu will be sorely missed but we congratulate her and wish her the best of luck in her new endeavors!
On the positive side, we welcomed Lt. Cmdr. Aaron Harding on Sept. 1, 2011. He comes from San Diego where he was the assistant department head of the laboratory at the Naval Medical Center. We look forward to working with him!
Also in August, the Walter Reed Blood Donor Center shut down to begin its realignment with the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda Blood Bank. It will soon reopen as the new Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Blood Donor Center. As part of the base realignment and closure process, the new facility will support blood collections on base, at the Pentagon and at Fort Belvoir, Va. Azeb Gordon, who has previously worked at both the Pentagon and Walter Reed is now the blood donor recruiter for Fort Belvoir.
For more information on the realignment, to find the nearest blood donor center to you, or to get contact information for any of the Armed Services Blood Program blood donor recruiters worldwide, visit us here.
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No Uniform Required
The ASBP Focal Point civilian hero of the month!
Eat and drink something before you leave the donor center, consume plenty of fluids over the next 12 hours and avoid strenuous exercise for one day. These are a few of the instructions given to donors by the phlebotomist at or near the completion of their blood donation. For Quinn Miller, it is only the last part that gives him any trouble at all.
"I love to run," Miller said. "I have been doing it a long time and am always looking for more opportunities to do so. Donating blood is a little newer, but I don't like missing out on those opportunities either."
In 2003, Miller took a civilian job at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and it wasn't long before he was introduced to the Armed Services Blood Program. He had never donated before, but once he started, he was hooked.
Read the entire article on the ASBP website.
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Photo: Avid runner, Quinn Miller (left), a civilian employee at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, stops into the blood donor center to donate between drives. He was assisted by Phlebotomist Carla Limbert (right) as he donated his 28th unit of blood with the Armed Services Blood Program.
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Picture This!
The ASBP Focal Point picture of the month
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 Even the dogs came out to support the Armed Services Blood Program in Texas. Historically, the U.S. military has been known to utilize dogs in their operations. Today, the 341st Training Squadron trains the animals and their handlers at Lackland Air Force Base to do everything from security, to law enforcement to detection. But when the Dog Training School sponsored an Armed Services Blood Program blood drive, the K-9s got a break from their training to watch men and women save lives in a different way-by donating blood.
Read the entire story on the ASBP website.
Photo:Sgt. Dustin Villalobos stands next to his dog Marco. The two have been together since February 2011.
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Lackland Blood Donor Center Cuts Ribbon on New Mobile Bus
The Lackland Blood Donor Center is known for traveling around the Texas area to conduct mobile blood drives, so it was a big day for the donor center team when they unveiled a state-of-the-art, 1,000 square foot mobile blood drive bus with six donor beds and six 17-inch TV screens-all ensuring donor comfort. It is a one-of-a-kind bus that will help the Lackland Blood Donor Center continue to supply more than 50 percent of the Air Force's quota supporting overseas contingency operations.
According to Col. John Hickman, commander of the 59th Laboratory Squadron, acquiring a new mobile blood bus has been in the works since 2004. "It was the persistence and the dedication of the Lackland Blood Donor Center and the Air Force Blood Program Office that made the blood mobile a reality. The blood donor center played a vital role in the procurement and design of the new blood mobile," he said.
The donor center was lauded by all that attended. During a short ceremony, Maj. Gen. Byron Hepburn, commander of the 59th Medical Wing, cut the ribbon on the new bus.
Read the entire story on the ASBP website.
Photo: Tech. Sgts. Robert Luna (far left) and Vincent Gella (far right) hold the ribbon while (from left to right in the center) Master Sgt. Ricky Berg, Maj. Gen. Byron Hepburn, Senior Master Sgt. Sonya Stoute, Col. John Hickman and Basic Trainee Nicholas Marullo cut the ribbon.
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| ASBP to Attend Annual AABB Conference and Expo
 From Oct. 22-25, 2011, the Armed Services Blood Program will travel to beautiful San Diego, Calif., to attend the AABB's (formerly the American Association of Blood Banks) 64th Annual Meeting. According to the AABB website, the meeting draws in more than 6,000 leading transfusion medicine and cellular therapy professionals in each year. This year, the Armed Services Blood Program will conduct a session designed to update the attendees on initiatives and current developments impacting the military blood program.
During the session, Col. Frank Rentas, director of the Armed Services Blood Program Office, will present 2011's Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. Since October 2009, the Armed Services Blood Program has recognized the significant contributions these individuals have made to the military blood program. Previous awardees include retired Capt. C. Robert Valeri, retired Col. Anthony J. Polk, and retired Navy Cmdr. W. Patrick Monaghan, PhD. | |
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