Armed Services Blood Program Newsletter
Jan. 3, 2011 

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From the Desk of:   

COL Francisco Rentas, Director, ASBPO

 

COL Francisco RentasA new year has begun, and we are excited to kick it off with a simple thanks to each and every one of you.  In honor of National Blood Donor Month, we have dedicated this issue of the Focal Point to the wonderful people that make this program a success--our donors, volunteers and supporters. 

 

In this issue you will read about civilians making a difference in South Korea, a 17-year-old donor who wanted to give the gift of blood for her birthday, the amazing support during the Blood Donor Challenge, and lastly about some truly dedicated donors aboard the USS George Washington.  

 

Thank you to everyone who made 2011 a great year for the Armed Services Blood Program. We will never forget all you have done for ill or injured service members, veterans and their families worldwide. We are excited to continue with our successes and look forward to working with you in 2012!   


Happy New Year!

Warm regards, 
COL Francisco Rentas

The Military Blood Program Offers a Simple Thanks   

 

A Simple ThanksFalls Church, Va., January 3, 2012--January is National Blood Donor Month and the Armed Services Blood Program is sending out a simple thanks to all of our donors--the heart and soul of the military blood program.

 

"The loyalty of our donors is what continually keeps the military blood program successful," said Col. Francisco Rentas, director of the Armed Services Blood Program. "We are incredibly thankful for their dedication and unflagging efforts to ensure ill or injured service members, veterans and their families worldwide receive the blood they need. Please accept our deepest gratitude for your services."

 

Blood is perishable and therefore must be replenished. This means that you--the donor--are consistently needed to ensure that blood is available year-round. The donors of 2011 have made an enormous difference in the lives of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines around the globe. Your generous and selfless gifts have allowed the military blood program to save countless lives.  

 

Read the entire press release on the ASBP website

The Heart and Seoul of Brian Allgood Community Hospital                          

 

In the heart of Seoul, South Korea, stands the Brian Allgood Community Hospital--a building rich with history dating back to World War II.  Originally activated in 1944 as the 121st Evacuation Hospital, the hospital has undergone many changes. However, when Col. Ron Fryar, the Army's service blood program officer, recently traveled to South Korea as part of routine ongoing assessments for the Army Blood Program, it didn't take long to realize that the civilian staff had not changed much since he was stationed there more than 18 years ago.  

 

"Perhaps one of the most interesting things for me was seeing that the majority of the civilian staff that were there when I was stationed as the hospital's lab manager in 1993 and 1994, are still there," said Fryar.  

With the help of Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Deickman of the 95th Blood Support Detachment, Fryar, Kathy Elder, the Army Blood Program's director of quality assurance, and Maj. Jason Corley from the Tripler Army Medical Center, in Hawaii, visited two frozen blood depots on the peninsula and spent considerable time at the hospital.   

 

Read the entire story on the ASBP website.   

 

Photo: Col. Ron Fryar (left) stands with Mr. Yu (right). Yu, who worked in the hospital's laboratory since 1952, met Fryar when he was stationed there in 1993 and 1994. After 46 years of service, Yu retired, but still lives in the immediate area. When he heard that Fryar was coming to visit the hospital, he stopped by for a visit.  

No Uniform Required 

The ASBP Focal Point civilian hero of the month!   

        Amber Moore donates blood on her 17th birthday

Nov. 18, 2011, was Amber Moore's 17th birthday, and she couldn't wait! But it was not because she wanted to receive tons of gifts, but because she wanted to GIVE one to the Armed Services Blood Program.  With parental consent, Moore scheduled her first ever blood donation so she could give the gift of donated blood to ill or injured service members, veterans and their families worldwide.

Ecstatic and ready to help others, Moore sat back, smiled and was ready to roll up her sleeve.  "I've been waiting for this day forever," smiled Moore. After she saw her blood start flowing into the collection bag, she added, "This is so cool!" 

Amazed at how effortless it was to donate blood, Moore said she was feeling "perfectly fine, like nothing happened."


Read the entire story on the ASBP website.

Photo: First time blood donor Amber Moore, 17 years old, eagerly watches medical technician Jennifer Antonetty during the blood donation process on her birthday at William Beaumont Army Medical Center Blood Donor Center, Fort Bliss, Texas on Nov. 18.      

Army, Navy Duke it Out in Donor Chairs
On Dec. 10, 2011, more than 90,000 fans piled into FedEx Field in Washington, D.C., to see if the Army or Navy would take home the win on the football field.  It was also the day that the Blood Donor Challenge winner would be announced.  Nearly 950 supporters showed up at their participating blood donor centers, but in the end, the Navy came out on top. 

As half time began, Col. Francisco Rentas, Navy representative hospital corpsman Petty Officer 3rd Class Kenneth Swartz, Swartz's escort, Staff Sgt. Paul Valentin, and Army representative 1st Lt. Dana Summons, all made their way down to the field. With a game score of 21-21, the stadium was still packed with fans, and during the third quarter, two Jumbotrons on each side of the field began playing an Armed Services Blood Program video, then Rentas presented Swartz with the crystal blood drop trophy.

"It was amazing to have 90,000 people looking at you," said Rentas. "It was a great honor and experience to be able to go down on the field and stand side-by-side with two heroes. We were definitely able to reach out to people this way."


Read about the entire Army-Navy Blood Donor Challenge award presentation on the ASBP website.

Photo: (From left to right) Navy representatives Staff Sgt. Paul Valentin and Petty Officer 3rd Class Kenneth Swartz, Armed Services Blood Program Director Col. Francisco Rentas, and Army representative 1st Lt. Dana Summons. 

Picture This!

The ASBP Focal Point picture of the month

Every year a holiday ball is put on by the Army Surgeon General's office. This year everyone welcomed the new Surgeon General and Commanding General of the United States Army Medical Command, Lieutenant General Patricia D. Horoho, pictured here with Ms. Ginger Rogers-Bass, office manager for the Armed Services Blood Program. With them is Ms. Roger-Bass' son, Bobby Bass, Jr., and her brother Eric Rogers of ALT Route. Mr. Rogers provided the evening's musical entertainment.

Haze Gray and Underway for Blood Donations                         

 

Airman Brandon Allen donates aboard the USS George WashingtonThe U.S. Pacific Command Armed Services Blood Bank Center in Okinawa, Japan, went "haze gray and underway" for blood donations. Recently, 13 members of the blood donor team went aboard the USS George Washington to conduct a blood drive hosted by the ship's medical department, and there were plenty of sailors eagerly waiting with their sleeves rolled up!

 

"The blood collected helped prevent the possibility of a shortage of available blood to local military installations throughout the western Pacific during the holiday season," said Capt. Timothy Lavan, senior medical officer for the USS George Washington.

 

It isn't often that the Armed Services Blood Program conducts blood drives aboard ships, but according to Lt. Cmdr. Jonathan Hoiles, ASBBC director, collecting blood aboard a ship has two major advantages. "In addition to collecting blood for patients in need, the blood drive assists the ship to prepare for emergency blood drives. It's a win-win for all involved," he said.

 

Read the entire story on the ASBP website

 

Photo:  U.S. Navy hospital corpsman Danny Nguyen from Port Arthur, Texas, prepares to draw blood from Airman Brandon Allen from Jacksonville, Fla., in the medical bay aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington.

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