Story Archive

Call Goes Out, Donors Come In (May 2012)
When the Lackland Blood Donor Center received a special request for O-positive and O-negative blood, they knew just who to call—their loyal donors. In true military fashion, when the call went out, it didn't take long for the donors to start coming in. One of the first donors to respond to the call was retired Chief John Simmons...

English Language Center Starts Donors in the Right Direction (April 2012)
The Defense Language Institute English Language Center acculturates and trains international personnel to communicate in English and deploys English Language Training programs around the world. But recently, they added to their mission by coordinating blood drives.

Continuing to Save Lives (November 2011)
Magda Ortiz, a registered nurse at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio since 1995, held a special place in a lot of hearts, so when she passed away after suffering serve injuries in an accident, her family and friends decided to hold an Armed Services Blood Program blood drive in her honor. "She was overseeing diabetes research studies ...

Lackland Blood Donor Center Cuts Ribbon on New Mobile Bus (August 2011)
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 ...

Dog Days of Summer Blood Drives (August 2011)
Even the dogs came out to support the ASBP 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 ...

Ready to Save Lives at Lackland (June 2011)
Tech. Sgt. Pelencio Witherspoon, military training leader for team eight of the 343rd Training Squadron at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, was eager to do something to a save life. So when his unit got the chance to do community service work, he knew he wanted to do something to support the military, so he donated blood to the ASBP.

Platelet Donors for Life (June 2011)
Like whole blood donors, platelet donors chose to donate platelets for a variety of reasons. However, since the platelet donation procedure is slightly more complex than whole blood donations, platelet donors must be willing to spend more time at the donor center. It is not uncommon for platelet donors to be asked why they choose to donate platelets ...

A Life-Saving Duo (May 2011)
Capt. Brendan Frost has been donating blood since he was in high school and he's starting his daughter off the same way. The duo recently stopped by the Lackland Air Force Base Blood Donor Center, Texas, to donate together, both ready to save lives. Frost started donating plasma in 2007 at Lackland, and has been donating ever since.

A Heartfelt Farewell from the Lackland Blood Donor Center (March 2011)
Master Sgt. Ricky Berg has been in the military for 21 years, and with that much experience, it is easy to see why he is great at what he does-lead and inspire. As the non-commissioned officer-in-charge of the Lackland Blood Donor Center for over four years, Berg has been responsible for nearly...

Shop at the BX and Donate Blood! (February 2011)
Visitors to the Randolph Air Force Base mall complex (BX) can do just about anything, from grabbing a slice of pizza, to getting a new haircut, or renting a car. But one recent December day, visitors had the added option of saving a life! Lackland Air Force Base Blood Donor Center was visiting and had the mobile blood drive bus conveniently situated in the BX parking lot.

The Beauty of the BEAST (February 2011)
Led by a cadre of military training instructors, the BEAST was designed to provide trainees with warrior, battle-ready airmen using field training and war skills instruction. However, in December 2010, the military training instructors of the 319th Training Squadron had a different mission-to save the lives of their brothers and sisters in arms by donating blood.

Lackland Blood Drive Features Global Participation (October 2010)
Many of the participants for this year's senior non-commissioned officers professional development seminar (held by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas) began leading by example by holding the seminar's first annual blood drive.

Lackland Blood Donor Center Team Member Spotlight (March 2010)
1st Lt Nicole Ferguson has been on active duty for almost two years. When asked why she chose the Air Force, she replies with a smile, "My dad was an Air Force recruiter and he sold me on the Aim High."

Is a New Trend Starting at Lackland Air Force Base? (January 2010)
A new donation trend might be forming at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. The Mackown Dental Clinic hosted their first ASBP blood drive, and staff there left the building in their scrubs to donate blood on the Lackland blood donor bus parked in the loading dock outside.

BMT recognized for blood donor center support (June 2009)
6/05/2009 - LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The 737th Training Group has received the American Association of Blood Bank's 2009 Award of Merit for its support of the Lackland Blood Donor Center.

Base dedicates MWD hospital (June 2009)
6/1/2009 - LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The Department of Defense Military Working Dog Veterinary Service Hospital was officially named the Holland Working Dog Veterinary Hospital in memory of Army Lt. Col. Daniel Holland during a ceremony May 28.

Base supports National Blood Donor Month (January 2009)
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- January is National Blood Donor Month and the Lackland Blood Donor Center is marking the occasion with an open house Jan. 30.

ASBP Donor Center Receives 2-Year AABB Accreditation (December 2008)
12/1/2008 - LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- The labs at San Antonio Military Medical Center-South recently received a two-year accreditation from the AABB, an organization recognized by the industry for monitoring and advancing transfusion and cellular therapies...