Armed Services Blood Program Newsletter
Dec. 14, 2011 

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From the Desk of:   

COL Francisco Rentas, Director, ASBPO

COL Francisco Rentas

In this issue, we share a very moving Thanksgiving story from one of our own; we tell you who won the Army-Navy Blood Donor Challenge; and, we take a look at two of our favorite stories from the past few weeks.  

 

The holidays are here, and in the midst of all our holiday traditions, let us not forget about the ill or injured service members, veterans and their families that need our support. I encourage everyone who can to roll up their sleeves and give the simple gift of blood this year. Your donation will truly make a difference this season.   

 
Happy Holidays!

 

Warm regards,

COL Francisco Rentas  

A Thanksgiving Story   

As related to the Armed Services Blood Program by the Joint Blood Program Officer forward 

                      

Happy Thanksgiving all! On behalf of everyone deployed, I am so grateful for your support. I want to share my incredible story from this last weekend.

 

I was visiting the joint hospital at one of our forward operating bases, recently. While talking with the blood bank staff, a trauma was called and three injured heroes were inbound. What unfolded before me next was the controlled chaos of trauma packs [blood product units] issued in rapid

succession by lab personnel to the emergency department and operating room. Not long after, the lab tech said that one patient had passed away, but continued to rapidly push more blood products.   

 

In the midst of this, my group returned to the terminal to fly back to the Role III hospital so we did not get a final status on how the rest of the evening went for the wounded warriors. I was scheduled to return to my base, and so the next morning I arrived at the passenger terminal and was told there would be a flight back in a few hours. As I was signing up, an Air Force service member explained that this flight was a fallen hero's flight and asked if I would be okay flying on that aircraft. Struggling to reply, I told him it would be my honor and privilege.

 

After waiting in the terminal for some time, I went to inquire, thinking perhaps the flight had gone, to discover an eerily quiet flight line. The ceremony bidding these heroes farewell was taking place and their aircraft was being readied. A short while later I was escorted to the aircraft. I was the only passenger. Struggling to get up the stairs with my gear on, I emerged into the main cabin where three United States flag-draped coffins greeted me. The sight took my breath away. When the crew offered a seat in the cockpit I asked to ride with our heroes, and chose a sling seat closest to my friends. I told them we were leaving Afghanistan and spent the four hour flight praying with them.

 

The setting sun's light through the aircraft windows as we flew, made beautiful our trip out of this country. And as we flew, I slowly came to realize, I may have "met" these three heroes the day before in the blood bank chaos. I was saddened that we couldn't save them but knew personally that everyone had done their ultimate best. As I watched the heroes escorted off the plane, I knew that they would know how very much we care; and how thankful we are for their ultimate sacrifice, and the sacrifices of their families.

 

To my blood community family: From our Marines on patrol, our soldiers conducting vehicle recon, our airmen flying missions and our corpsmen on the gulf, thank you. Without your dedicated and tireless efforts every day to recruit, collect, process, test, and ship blood products to theater, these heroes wouldn't have received the best of our care. You do an amazing job that goes unnoticed at times, so I wanted to thank you, from all of us.

 

Photo: Casket team members reverently lift the nation's colors from a soldier's casket to start the ceremonial flag-folding. (Photo by Staci-Jill Sands, retrieved from www.army.mil).   

Army and Navy Face Off in a Blood Donor Challenge   

                   

The Army-Navy football game is a long-awaited tradition this time of year, and a game that has come to embody the spirit of the Army and Navy rivalry.  So this year, the Armed Services Blood Program decided to add a little extra something to the rivalry, by issuing a Blood Donor Challenge.  From Nov. 28 to Dec. 9, 2011, six locations throughout the Washington metro area competed against each other to see which service would take home bragging rights and a trophy for most units of blood collected.  

 

"This was a great way to increase awareness of the Armed Services Blood Program while staying true to the rivalry that exists during the Army-Navy football game," said Army Col. Francisco Rentas, director of the Armed Services Blood Program."While this is a joint effort and our mission depends on all three Services, this rivalry is special. He added a moment later, "Go Army!"

 

The challenge kicked off at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, then continued at Fort Meade, Md., Fort Belvoir, Va., the U.S. Naval Academy, the Navy Yard and Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall.  By the end of the blood drives, a total of nearly 800 units of blood were collected to help their service try to take home the victory.  But in the end, the U.S. Navy came out the winner of the challenge.   

 

The winning service of challenge was announced during the Army-Navy football game at FedEx Field in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 10, 2011.   

 

"Thank you to everyone who came out to participate in the Blood Donor Challenge, and congratulations to the Navy for taking home the prize!" said Rentas.  "Your dedication to the military blood program is greatly appreciated."

 

The biggest winners of the challenge, however, are the ill or injured service members, veterans and their families worldwide who will receive the donated blood this holiday season.  Thank you to everyone who made this challenge, and the results, possible!  

 

Photo: COL Francisco Rentas, director of the Armed Services Blood Program, presents the Navy representative with the trophy. 

No Uniform Required 

The ASBP Focal Point civilian hero of the month!   

        

Recently, the Armed Services Blood Bank Center-Pacific Northwest was honored to induct one of our own into the Donation Hall of Fame!  The blood donor center conducted a ceremony to recognize Todd Cosgrove, the quality assurance and compliance coordinator of the ASBBC-PNW, and one of our most dedicated donors.  

The Donation Hall of Fame, sponsored by a medical technology company, Fenwal, Inc., recognizes individuals nationwide who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to blood donation.  The Hall of Fame honors those individuals for their outstanding dedication and commitment to helping ensure that the life-saving gift of blood is available to patients in need.


In addition to being an ASBBC-PNW employee, Cosgrove has been a donor with the organization since 1998. "My first blood donation occurred on Nov. 26, 1986," he recalled. "I remember this date because it was the day before Thanksgiving and the local [civilian] blood center was in critical need of O-positive blood." 
   

 

Read the entire story on the ASBP website.  

Photo: Todd Cosgrove (left), quality assurance and compliance coordinator at the Armed Services Blood Bank Center-Pacific Northwest, holds the crystal blood drop award presented by Cyndi Mitchell (right), regional Fenwal executive.      

Picture This!

The ASBP Focal Point picture of the month

The holiday season is officially in full-swing, and the Armed Services Blood Program is encouraging everyone to add a new holiday tradition to their list--donating blood.  Each year, donations decrease over the holiday months, but the demand for blood does not.  The gift of your blood is a simple gift, but a life-saving one.  

 

One donation takes less than an hour of your time, but can save up to three lives. Giving to the Armed Services Blood Program means that your blood will go directly to ill or injured service members, veterans and their families worldwide.   

 

So if you need a gift idea this year, give a simple gift ... donate blood.  

The Ultimate Care Package ... Texas Style                         

 

Sending care packages to deployed service members has become quite a tradition between the civilian and military communities.  Some send cookies and personal items, others send thank-you cards; but the Fredericksburg, Texas, community sends what they like to call, "The Ultimate Care Package"--life-saving blood. For the past four years, Bob Sagebiel from the Knights of Columbus Council 9765 in Fredericksburg, has coordinated one of the largest Armed Services Blood Program blood drives held in Texas.  The goal?  Collect blood from 150 donors per day-for three days. 

The blood donated during the Ultimate Care Package blood drives is used to support the Armed Services Blood Program.  A majority of the blood is shipped to forward combat hospitals in Iraq, Afghanistan or Germany, to the Armed Services Whole Blood Processing Laboratory or to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. 


"We do military blood drives twice a year to support our troops," said Sagebiel. "One is scheduled around Memorial Day and the second just before Veteran's Day.  We try to keep a military theme and promote these days of honor for what they truly are."  

 

Read the entire story on the ASBP website.  

 

Photo: Staff from the Akeroyd Blood Donor Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and Robertson Blood Center, Fort Hood, Texas, collect and process more than 300 units of blood at the "Ultimate Care Package" blood drive.   

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