Fort Leonard Wood Blood Donor Center finishing 2021 strong

By Carl Norman, Fort Leonard Wood Blood Donor CenterDecember 6, 2021

Ashley Gerstenberger, Fort Leonard Wood Blood Donor Center phlebotomist, prepares Pvt. David Brigaman, Company A, 35th Engineer Battalion, to donate blood Oct. 25. Alpha Company donated 96 units throughout the day, earning them the No. 10 spot on the all-time single-day donations list.
Ashley Gerstenberger, Fort Leonard Wood Blood Donor Center phlebotomist, prepares Pvt. David Brigaman, Company A, 35th Engineer Battalion, to donate blood Oct. 25. Alpha Company donated 96 units throughout the day, earning them the No. 10 spot on the all-time single-day donations list. (Photo Credit: Photo by Carl Norman, Fort Leonard Wood Blood Donor recruiter) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — Fort Leonard Wood Soldiers are helping the Blood Donor Center here finish 2021 strong.

Two companies donated a total of 218 units of blood to the Armed Services Blood Program in October and November, earning themselves spots on the all-time single-day donations list.

Company D, 787th Military Police Battalion, earned the No. 5 spot on the list Nov. 7, when they gave 122 units of blood. Not only did this make more than 240 blood products available, it marked the largest single-day donation to date in 2021.

This was Delta Company’s first entry into the 100-unit club, reserved for organizations that process 100 or more donors in a single-day drive.

“I know the importance of the Armed Services Blood Program and encourage my Soldiers to give blood,” said Capt. Carson Nutall, Delta Company commander. “It goes directly to service members and benefits them, whether they’re on the battlefield or in another capacity within the military.”

Earning the No. 10 spot on the all-time list was Company A, 35th Engineer Battalion. They gave 96 units of blood Oct. 25, that made nearly 200 blood products. The donation also marked Alpha Company’s second entry into the donor center’s 100-unit club — they gave 100 units of blood on July 15, 2012.

“Reaching this milestone means a lot to me, personally,” said Capt. Andreas Brown, Alpha Company commander. “I’ve had relatives who needed blood and had to be put on a waiting list to get it, which was nerve-racking for my family. So, donating with the Armed Services Blood Program not only allows our Soldiers in training the chance to immediately help others who need it, it’s their first opportunity to give back to their brothers and sisters in arms. You don’t have to know who the donation is going to; you just have to know it’s helping people and giving back to our country.”

In total, the two units’ drives allowed for 436 blood products to be manufactured, enough for every Soldier in two average-sized Army companies. It also saved the government thousands of dollars by eliminating the need to purchase products from a commercial blood collection organization.

The Fort Leonard Wood Blood Donor Center collets blood for the ASBP, the official blood collection organization for the Department of Defense. Collected blood goes to medical facilities at deployed locations around the world and to military hospitals throughout the DOD. The military healthcare system requires hundreds of units of blood every day to treat everything from battlefield injuries to cancer.

“We proudly salute Alpha Company, 35 Engineer Battalion, and Delta Company, 787 Military Police Battalion, for demonstrating the Army value of never leaving a fallen comrade,” said 1st Lt. Tae Kim, officer in charge of the Fort Leonard Wood Blood Donor Center. “Many lives will be saved and others will recover from illness and injuries because of their compassion for others in donating blood.”

For more information about the Fort Leonard Wood Blood Donor Center, or to make an appointment to donate, e-mail carl.a.norman2.civ@mail.mil, or call 573.596.6150.

About the Armed Services Blood Program

Since 1962, the Armed Services Blood Program has served as the sole provider of blood for the United States military.

As a tri-service organization, the ASBP collects, processes, stores and distributes blood and blood products to Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and their families worldwide.

As one of four national blood collection organizations trusted to ensure the nation has a safe, potent blood supply, the ASBP works closely with our civilian counterparts by sharing donors on military installations where there are no military blood collection centers and by sharing blood products in times of need to maximize availability of this national treasure.