FORT BENNING, Ga., (Feb. 4, 2015) -- Fort Benning met and exceeded its goal for 10,000 units of donated blood in 2014, with 10,477 total units given to the Armed Services Blood Program.
To celebrate the achievement and National Volunteer Blood Donor month, Martin Army Community Hospital and the Sullivan Memorial Blood Center hosted the annual Blood Donor Appreciation Ceremony Jan. 30 at the Benning Supper Club.
U.S. Army Medical Department Activity Commander, Col. Scott B. Avery, praised the accomplishment and thanked donors and volunteers for their support. More than 30 awards were presented to honor those whose special gift helped help others in need.
Guest speaker, Sgt. Thomas P. Block, 2014 Army Times Soldier of the Year, shared compelling statistics about the value of blood donation.
"Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood," he said. "We need more than 41,000 donations a day to sustain that."
"One donation can save up to three people. It's amazing what they can do in the medical field today with just one pint," Block said.
Although he donated blood in basic training and during his second deployment, Block said he didn't fully realize the need until he experienced for himself the lifesaving gift of blood on Oct. 6, 2013, in southern Afghanistan.
Block, a Ranger assigned to 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, was on a mission in Kandahar Province when a suspected suicide bomber detonated herself in close proximity to the assault force. Severely wounded, Block needed several blood transfusions and multiple surgeries to survive.
"I lost a lot of blood. It's been a long road," he said. "I'm here today to say that it's valuable; donated blood is a very important thing needed in our Army to keep the force strong and (able to) help those that need it most."
Today, Block is approaching his fifth anniversary in the Army on Valentine's Day, preparing for a final surgery and looking forward to working on a degree in business. Block said he wouldn't be here today without donors who give blood.
"When you donate blood, you save a life, and I'm here today to say that it's been a great life," he said.
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