On August 28, the Fort Bliss Noncommissioned Officer Academy (NCOA) teamed up with the Armed Services Blood Program (ASBP) to host a blood drive. The ASBP also known as the Military Blood Program is the official military provider of blood products to U.S. Armed Forces.

Donated blood is comprised of various components with 55 percent plasma, 45 percent red blood cells, and one percent white blood cells and platelets. “Each donation can be separated into the different components, meaning a single donation can impact up to three lives,” mentioned Waverlyn Nixon-Raynor, a phlebotomist at the Fort Bliss ASBP.

According to the ASBP website, “40 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to give blood yet only three percent of this population donates on a regular basis.” Many potential donors may exclude themselves because of assumptions they have such as being ineligible due to having the sickle cell trait. Nixon-Raynor confirms that these “donors can definitely donate if they do not have the sickle cell disease and meet all other eligibility requirements.”

Army veteran, Carl Carlson made his first blood donation in 1984 when he joined the service. He later answered the call in 1988 when disaster struck at the “Flugtag ‘88” air show at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Shortly after the Italian team took to the sky, there was a mid-air collision involving three planes. Two aircrafts struck the taxiway while the third crashed into the crowd of spectators; reports at the time say 70 were killed and over 100 people were injured in the disaster. Carlson recalls, “the call went out on a Sunday to service members asking them to go to the nearest blood donor center to donate.” He went on to say that “in emergency situations blood is needed right away and time is everything.”

For many years, Carlson was not able to donate blood because of geographical risk factors related to the timeframe he lived in Europe. Amid the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration lifted a ban that prevented donation for those who spent time in Europe to help address the critical need for blood. With the new guidance in place Carlson was once again eligible and excited to give. He continues to donate every eight to 12 weeks with the ASBP, calling it “another way to serve.”

Staff Sgt. Alicia Castillo, Senior Small Group Leader at the NCOA has made it her personal mission to ensure the academy meets its goal to donate 350 pints of blood in 2024. She coordinates blood drives monthly during each Basic Leader Course cycle, held at the NCOA. These drives serve to bring in new donors and give the students an opportunity to give back to the military community. Castillo entered the Army as a Military Police and has seen firsthand the need for blood donations. “I am committed to organizing blood drives to help others in need, because donated blood saved one of my battle buddies while we were deployed” revealed Castillo.

To date, Castillo’s efforts have led to the collection of 254 pints of blood through the ASBP which means 96 more people are needed to donate in order for them to reach their 2024 goal! Follow the Fort Bliss NCOA Facebook page for updates on when their next blood drive will take place. More information on the qualifications to become a donor and support our military can be found online at Health.mil under the ASBP tab (https://health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Health-Readiness/ASBP) or 703-681-8024. Fort Bliss ASBP can be reached at 915-742-6365 or on Facebook @ASBPFortBliss.