FORT CAVAZOS – The Army value of selfless service was on full display in the Division West Headquarters (DivWestHQ) this week. The Robertson Blood Center held a mobile blood drive at the DivWestHQ May 10, 2023, and received an outstanding turnout. The blood drive is part of the blood center’s job to ensure that Soldiers, retirees, and family members have ready access to a safe and sufficient supply of blood.
Ian Wilson, a blood donor recruiter with the Armed Services Blood Program (ASBP) brought an eight-person crew and set up a sign-in table, three prescreening booths and five donation stations.
Wilson explains the ASBP’s responsibility in the process. “The ASBP is the official provider for all blood products for the military worldwide. We’re a Tri service organization we encompass the Army, Navy, and Air Force blood programs obviously with Fort Cavazos falling under the Army Blood program.”
Once Wilson and his crew setup Soldiers formed a line that stretched down the corridor, all were ready to do their part.
“We always have blood drives going all across the installation, we do a lot of blood drives at the Robertson Blood Center, DivWest is one of the ones that we do mobile, but we do a lot of mobile operations,” said Wilson.
Captain Kaylin Ottinger, Commanding Officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), Mobilization Support Brigade, and 1st Lt. Alexus Lane, executive officer HHC 120th Infantry Brigade helped coordinate the location and time of the mobile blood drive.
“Mr. Wilson had come to my Precommand course, and I could just tell that he was very excited about what they do, we were able to come up with a time and place that worked, now we are here doing our part” said Ottinger.
The blood drive was set to run from 9AM to 1PM, and for the donors who did not have a chance to donate there are plenty of opportunities in the future.
The blood center’s goal of maintaining a ready supply of blood for Soldiers, retirees, and family members is a continuous process which requires recruiters to get the word out as well as volunteers to show up. Wilson coordinates with organizations across post to set up mobile blood drives and encourage donors to come into the Robertson Blood Center to donate.
“Friday we’re actually going to be at the Child Care Development Center (CDC) working with CDC over there doing a blood drive with the staff and the daycare staff and we’ll be over at Operations Test Command (OTC) coming up here in the next few weeks,” said Wilson.
The blood center staff handed out t-shirts to all who donated as well as provided the usual juice box and cookies after. When asked most donors gave a similar response as to why they donate.
“I donated because it gives me peace of mind knowing that I made a difference in a deployed service members life” said Master Sgt. Maribel German a Deployment Readiness Center Liaison with the Mobilization Support Brigade.
Blood units donated go to deployed Soldiers and according to the ASBP website one unit of blood could save three lives because whole blood contains blood plasma, platelets, white cells, and red cells. With modern medical technology, patients sometimes receive just a component they need instead of receiving a whole blood transfusion.
“Robertson blood Center is open Monday through Friday 7:30AM to 3:30PM we always welcome walk-ins, if you guys have the opportunity if you can take the opportunity its 30 maybe 40 minutes of your time to save three lives and give them a lifetime,” said Wilson.
| Date Taken: | 05.10.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 05.15.2023 15:54 |
| Story ID: | 444787 |
| Location: | FORT CAVAZOS, TEXAS, US |
| Hometown: | SIOUX CITY, IOWA, US |
| Web Views: | 39 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Mobile Blood Drive Seeks to add Units, by SFC Justin Hardin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
