Cavalry Family Housing blood drive collects lifesaving donations at Fort Cavazos

FORT CAVAZOS, Texas — The Robertson Blood Center collaborated with Fort Cavazos Cavalry Family Housing for a blood drive event Feb. 16 at Kouma Community Center here.

Blood and blood products are essential to the military, specifically deployed Soldiers, so it is imperative to maintain an ample blood supply, conveyed Carolyn Meyer, community services manager for Cavalry Family Housing.

Everyone that’s donating is seeing how much of a need there is, so it’s really eye opening,” Meyer expressed.

Ian Wilson, public affairs officer for the Armed Services Blood Program, explained that the primary mission of the Robertson Blood Center is to collect blood products and send them downrange to deployed military. The secondary mission is to provide blood to the Carl R. Darnall Medical Center, the Veterans Administrations and other military treatment facilities around the country.

Wilson noted that one donation, can save multiple lives.

“You can give one pint every two months, meaning you can only give a blood donation six times a year,” he said. “But that blood donation you’re giving can save three lives, so it’s vital.”

He explained that whole blood and plasma are produced from each donation at the center.

Whole blood is used to treat patients who need all the components of blood, such as those who have sustained significant blood loss due to trauma or surgery.

Plasma is the liquid portion of blood that is used to treat burn patients, shock and bleeding disorders.

The American Red Cross states that O positive blood is the most frequently occurring blood type, accounting for 37% of the population.

The need for O negative blood is highest because it is used most often during emergencies. Only seven percent of the population is O negative, considered the universal donor because it can be used in transfusions for any blood type.

Wilson agreed.

“O positive or negative is a large portion of what we do because O positive is the largest portion of the population, so we always have a big focus for it,” he said.

Sgt. 1st Class Michael Copeland Jr., 615th Aviation Support Battalion, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, and community life noncommissioned officer, felt it was important to donate because he is O positive.

“I know a couple of people that needed blood, a specific type that they just didn’t have. So, me being O positive, I always think that my O positive is helping someone else in need across the state, across the country, across the nation. I just feel like it’s necessary.”

Kamilani Narcis, Cavalry Family Housing resident services coordinator, agreed.

“We need to have blood available for our service members, there’s definitely a lot of people who need it,” she said. “I would encourage people to think about other families who might need it. You should donate not only for yourself and your family, but for others as well.”

Wilson conveyed that the donors make all the difference in ensuring there is an ample and continuous blood supply.

“The most important portion of this right here is the donors,” he said. “The donors are the most important thing, but the outcome of it is the blood products that they’re giving for our deployed military.

“This is going to save somebody’s life,” Wilson continued. “Down range, there could be a Soldier in a training accident or ends up in a firefight and that blood is what’s going to be needed. A quick 30 minutes out of the day ensures that he gets the remainder of his lifetime to come home.”

Robertson Blood Center is located right beside Thomas Moore Clinic, across the street from the Military Police station. Visitors can donate from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays. For more information, call 254-285-5808 and check out the Robertson Blood Center Facebook page for upcoming events.