Photo By Sgt. Megan Angel | Petty Officer 1st Class Jun Villanueva, a medical lab technician with the U.S. Pacific...... read more read more
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OKINAWA, Japan - The U.S. Pacific Command Armed Services Blood Bank Center on Camp Lester is the headquarters of blood operations and the main source of blood products for the entire Pacific Theater. As part of the Armed Services Blood Program, the official U.S. military blood program, blood donations serve as a vital link to military service members and their families worldwide.
ASBBC provides blood products to U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa, USNH Guam, USNH Yokosuka, Misawa Air Base, Yokota Air Base and several other medical treatment facilities in the region. ASBBC Okinawa also provides blood health care service support to various Navy ships and military operations such as Exercises Cobra Gold and Balikatan.
“The blood that we collect for PACOM comes from blood drives conducted on Okinawa,” said Douglas Kennedy, a blood donor recruiter with ASBBC. “The blood people decide to give during our blood drives save lives and supports over 175,000 service members, their families, and [Department of Defense] civilians in the region.”
ASBBC needs to collect approximately 300 blood units, per month, or 3,600 units per year, to support the need of blood products for PACOM’s entire area of operations, said Kennedy. A unit of blood is equal to about a pint.
Blood and blood products are used for patients of all ages for many reasons. From cancer or surgical patients to those with battlefield injuries, military members depend on blood donors every day.
Blood collected by ASBBC is also used by separating donations into red blood cells, platelets and plasma, said Petty Officer 1st Class Jun Villanueva, a medical lab technician with U.S. Pacific Command ASBBC.
“The blood donated at our blood drives stays within the military system,” said Kennedy. “One donation can save up to three lives because we split whole blood into the component parts that may go to several different patients in need.”
Most healthy adults are eligible to give blood, however, there are several reasons a person may be deferred from donating - temporarily, indefinitely or permanently. Deferral criteria was established for the protection of those donating and those receiving transfusions.
A deferral should not discourage donors from coming back or thinking they cannot help. Units and work sections can help by organizing a blood drive, said Kennedy.
ASBBC holds several blood drives every month at locations throughout the island. Walk-ins and appointments to donate blood are also available at the center Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Building 6017 on Camp Lester.
“Lives are constantly saved throughout the Pacific because of the generous people here on Okinawa who choose to donate,” said Kennedy. “We could never have too many donations.”
For more information on how to donate or to organize a blood drive, contact Kennedy at the ASBBC at 643-7710 or 643-7737, or by e-mail at douglas.kennedy@med.navy.mil.
| Date Taken: | 05.26.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 05.26.2011 02:25 |
| Story ID: | 71092 |
| Location: | OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 155 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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