Sgt. Timothy N. Townsend donates blood and eats a breakfast sandwich as part of the 412th Aviation Support Battalion, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade annual spring blood drive March 10, at the Katterbach Fitness Center in Katterbach, Germany.
"It feels ...

Sgt. Raul A. Canedo, a pneudraulics rapairer with Bravo Company, 412th Aviation Support Battalion, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, fills out paperwork to determine his eligibility to donate blood March 10, as a part of 412th Aviation Support Battalion,...

Spc. Krista Hausauer, an intelligence analyst with the Headquarters and Support Company, 412th Aviation Support Battalion winces in anticipation as she prepares for the insertion of a needle March 10, as a part of the 412th Aviation Support Battalion...

KATTERBACH, GERMANY - The 412th Aviation Support Battalion, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade teamed up with the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center to hold the annual spring blood drive March 10 at the Katterbach Fitness Center in Katterbach, Germany.

Military and community members volunteered to come out and donate blood that will be used to support service members from Europe to Africa.

The 412th Aviation Support Battalion conducts blood drives twice a year, one in the spring and again in the fall.

"We want to make sure we support sailors, Marines, and Airmen with the blood products to make sure they're taken care of if they're injured," said Sgt. Douglas C. Anderson, a laboratory technician with Charlie Company at the medical center.

Some of the soldiers get special incentives from their unit for getting a big turnout to support the event, but for some, it's also about giving.

"It feels good to donate blood for fellow soldiers that get injured in wartime and peacetime situations," said Sgt. Timothy N. Townsend, a medic with Headquarters and Support Company, 412th Aviation Support Battalion.

The overall goal is to exceed last spring's donations of 157 donors by getting at least 160 donors this spring.

The lab technicians at Landstuhl look forward to stocking their blood reserves from the drives hosted by the battalion because here, is where they get the biggest turnout.

"This is the biggest blood drive in the region, beating out larger installations and even the two-day drives," said Anderson. "I can't thank you enough"

"412 is big on community events," said 2nd Lt. Jason B. Norman, the officer-in-charge of medical operations for the battalion. It's very important to provide support to Army family programs. Being stationed overseas, everything has to be provided from yourself, for yourself.