TOBYHANNA ARMY DEPOT, Pa. -- A packaging specialist here recently received a Commander's Award for Public Service for frequently giving the gift of life.
John Fitzpatrick hopes his actions will raise awareness and encourage others to consider donating bone marrow, platelets and blood. At first, it was family values, then military service that fueled his determination to help others in need.
"My dad taught me about selfless service," Fitzpatrick said. "My time in the Army reinforced the drive to serve others. One of my favorite lines from the Prayer of St. Francis is 'In giving to all men that we receive.'"
The American Red Cross reports that every two seconds, someone in the United States requires blood. According to Fitzpatrick, he's donated 35 gallons of blood and has been coordinating blood drives at his parish since 2007.
"I've never felt the deep personal connection as I did when I donated bone marrow," he said. "It was an incredible experience." It was that connection that helped him overcome any fears of the procedure.
"As a member of our LOGSA (Logistics Support Activity) Packaging, Storage and Containerization Center (PSCC) Team we are extremely proud of John's humanitarian contributions," said Claire Nidoh, PSCC Packaging and Transportation Division chief "Not only is John an exemplary Department of the Army employee, he is truly an inspiration for his dedication and commitment to the community and helping others in need."
At work, Fitzpatrick spends his days assessing packaging capabilities and offering technical assistance to personnel working in LOGSA's geographically separated units in the continental United States or overseas. As the deputy chair for the Army Packaging Policy Work Group he also helps draft policy and regulations that govern how the packaging community operates.
Years of experience and routine visits to Logistics Readiness Centers and Army depots have served as inspiration for packaging-related articles, which Fitzpatrick regularly submits for publication.
"LOGSA makes sure the employees at the different locations are armed with a list of resources and recommendations that can help improve packaging operations," Fitzpatrick said, explaining that he also conducts on-site packaging workshops.
Fitzpatrick believes everyone can make a difference regardless of position or grade.
"There are so many people and organizations in need," he said. "You just need to find the ones that touch your heart -- then take that leap of faith."
LOGSA provides worldwide technical and specialized staff assistance in the fields of packaging, storage, hazardous materials, automatic identification technology, distribution facilities modernization, international and domestic standardization, and packaging application testing to the U.S. Army Materiel Command, other Army commands, Defense Department components, and other federal agencies.
Tobyhanna Army Depot is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna's Corporate Philosophy, dedicated work force and electronics expertise ensure the depot is the Joint C4ISR provider of choice for all branches of the Armed Forces and industry partners.
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