ASBP: Stories Archives - All our stories at your fingertips

Subscribe to our eNewsletter

National Blood Donor Month

STORY ARCHIVE

‘Starts With You’ (Christine June, ASBP Marketing Specialist)
Air Force Col. Richard H. McBride said, “It starts with you,” to the men and women who work as much as 12 hours a day, five days a week to collect and process blood for the military during his visit May 17 on the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. "Wounded warriors being able to go home to their loved ones starts with the work you do every single day to make sure the blood is there," said McBride.

Military Wife Doing Her Part (Linda Ellerbe, ASBP Blood Donor Recruiter, Fort Bragg, N.C.)
Amanda Sitcer feels that one of the best ways to support her husband and other military is to donate blood at the Fort Bragg Blood Donor Center. A platelet and whole blood donor for the past two years, Sitcer never fails to miss an appointment. For Sitcer, the need for blood has hit close to home on several occasions...

Staff Gives 100% ... And Then Some (Erin Longacre, ASBP Blood Donor Recruiter, Fort Gordon, Ga.)
The staff members at Fort Gordon’s Kendrick Memorial Blood Center work hard to provide lifesaving blood products for members of the military community in need. They conduct blood drives on weekends and early mornings, often working long hours and on holidays collecting and processing blood. However, their dedication to the mission doesn’t...

Military Retiree Returns Again and Again (Catherine Tharpe, ASBP Blood Donor Recruiter, Fort Hood, Texas)
With his sunny smile, thankful demeanor and giving spirit, Prosper Walker amazes staff and fellow blood donors every time he sets foot into the Robertson Blood Center. Having served in the Army for 23 years, Walker is no stranger to the military community. After retiring as a lieutenant colonel...

Always Willing to Go Above and Beyond (Wendy Binder, ASBP Blood Donor Recruiter, Camp Lejeune, N.C.)
In December 2010, the Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune implemented a new platelet donation program. Since its inception, boosting donor participation has been a bit of a challenge for the blood donor center staff. However, now that the hospital is expanding the neonatal...

Learning the Value of Saving Lives (Cesar Fontanilla, ASBP Blood Donor Recruiter, Camp Pendleton, Calif.)
These days a lot is known as to why giving blood is important in helping patients with trauma, cancer and other medical issues; but there is still much to be learned. This is why Marine Gunnery Sgt. Jonathan Coffey continues to donate blood to the ASBP. A personal experience helped Coffey to fully understand the importance of donating blood...

Profiles of Dedication: Christina Backues (Ralph Peters, ASBP Blood Donor Recruiter, Portsmouth, Va.)
Meet Staff Sgt. Christina Backues, assigned to the 1st Maintenance Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, Hampton, Va. She was born and raised in Little Rock, Ark., and after completing her associate’s degree in education she joined the Air Force. She explained that her father, who retired from the Army after over 22 years of service...

Airmen Leading for Life (Tracy Parmer, ASBP Blood Donor Recruiter, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas)
The Airman Leadership School prepares senior airmen to be professional war-fighting airmen who can lead Air Force teams in air, space and cyberspace power. At Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, students are also learning another important skill — how to save lives by donating blood to the Armed Services Blood Program.

Not Your Ordinary Blood Donor (Linda Ellerbe, ASBP Blood Donor Recruiter, Fort Bragg, N.C.)
Staff Sgt. Jerry Perez is not just any ordinary donor — he is much more than that. He donates platelets on a regular basis and had become a part of the Fort Bragg Blood Donor Center family. For Perez, it really does not matter if he is donating a double platelet or a unit of plasma, so long as he is helping to save a life.

A Garryowen Goal of 1,000 Pints (Catherine Tharpe, ASBP Blood Donor Recruiter, Fort Hood, Texas)
The highly decorated 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment is a part of the 1st Cavalry Division and has a lineage that traces back to the American Indian Wars. Walking through the unit’s building, it is easy to see the determination and pride 7th Calvary Regiment — also known as Garryowen — has in everything they do to ensure each and every...

It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! No, It’s a Blood Donor! (David M. Thomas, ASBP Blood Donor Recruiter, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio)
You don’t need a cape, a pair of tights, or superhuman strength to be a hero. You don’t even need a fireman’s hat, a badge or a stethoscope. There are lots of common accouterments worn by some of the most recognizable heroes; but the truth is, you won't need to see any of those things...

A-Game in the D-Ring (Jerrick Alexander, ASBP Blood Donor Recruiter, Pentagon Blood Donor Center)
The Armed Services Blood Program is a tri-service program collecting blood from the military for the military. If you are looking for a perfect example of the joint nature of the military blood program, the medical laboratory technician team at the Pentagon Blood Donor Center is a great place to start.

Echo, Foxtrot Companies Take Home Top Honors (Carl Norman, ASBP Blood Donor Recruiter, Fort Leonard Wood Blood Donor Center, Mo.)
Showing compassion and helping their ill and injured brothers and sisters in arms is a hallmark for soldiers in the 795th Military Police Battalion. With executive officers and operations sergeants scheduling blood drives and drill sergeants encouraging privates to give...