FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — For the fourth time in as many blood drives, a training company with one of the smallest class sizes and the shortest training duration earned a spot in the Fort Leonard Wood Blood Donor Center’s 100-Donor Club.
Company A, 58th Transportation Battalion, first joined the club in April by having 118 Soldiers volunteer to donate blood to the Armed Services Blood Program. They repeated this success with 121 donors in June; 132 in August; and 119 in October. In total, 503 Soldiers — nearly 40% of their available class population — volunteered to give the gift of life.
During a six-week course, Alpha Company trains Soldiers to be truck drivers. Coordinating a large-scale ASBP blood drive required precise timing, according to Capt. William Breceda Cooper, Company A commander.
“We reviewed each class’s arrival and departure dates to find when the most Soldiers would be available,” he said. “Once we identified the best time, we scheduled the drive and motivated the Soldiers to donate.”
Breceda Cooper credits awareness and engaged leadership as key factors in the company’s success.
“Many Soldiers don’t know about the ASBP,” he said. “Sharing information and having senior leaders encourage donations makes a big difference.”
He also emphasized the importance of personal stories from cadre about times they or their families needed blood.
“Blood donations saved my father’s life in Afghanistan in 2006,” he shared.
Since then, Breceda Cooper said he has tried to donate whenever he has a chance.
The Fort Leonard Wood Blood Donor Center has held several blood drives in 2025, averaging about three dozen volunteers each. Company A’s drive nearly quadruples that number, which Lynee Miller, donor center supervisor, finds very encouraging.
“It’s inspiring to see young men and women donate for a cause bigger than themselves, especially with leadership’s support,” she said. “Their generosity helps many people fight illness and injury.”
The 100-Donor Club recognizes organizations that have 100 or more eligible donors volunteer during a single-day blood drive. There are currently 31 members. Each member has their unit’s name, donor counts, and drive dates etched on a plaque hanging in the donor center lobby. They also receive a Giving 4 Living streamer from the Association of the United States Army.
The ASBP, the official blood provider for the U.S. military, ensures a steady supply of blood products is available for service members worldwide. The military health system requires hundreds of blood units each day and looks to the ASPB to ensure they’re available. The ASBP then relies on volunteer donors to meet those ongoing demands.
“This milestone makes me proud of my team—senior NCOs who facilitate, encourage, and motivate Soldiers,” Breceda Cooper said. “It also highlights the selfless sacrifice of the Soldiers who donated. Their actions show they’re part of something greater than themselves. Donating blood is a small act that can save lives.”
For more information about the Armed Services Blood Program, the 100-Donor Club, or to schedule a blood drive, call 573.596.6150.
About the Armed Services Blood Program:
Since 1962, the ASBP has been the U.S. military’s official blood program. Its mission is to provide quality blood products and support to military healthcare worldwide—on the battlefield and in hospitals. The ASBP collects, processes, stores, transports, and distributes blood to service members, their families, retirees, and veterans in peace and war. Working with Military Health Affairs, the Defense Health Agency, Service Blood Programs, and Combatant Commands, the ASBP follows common goals, metrics, and procedures to shape the future of military blood support.
As one of four organizations responsible for a safe blood supply, the ASBP also collaborates with civilian partners to maximize blood availability nationally.
To learn more or schedule a donation, visit www.militaryblood.dod.mil. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @militaryblood, and on Instagram @usmilitaryblood.
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