Soldiers give the gift of blood in Afghanistan

Photo By Sgt. Paul Ondik | Brig. Gen. Jim McConville, deputy commanding general-support for Combined Joint Task Force-101, has his blood drawn during a CJTF-101 blood-screening drive Sept. 25 in the hallway of the Joint Operations Center at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan.  

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AFGHANISTAN

09.25.2008

Story by Sgt. Paul Ondik 

Combined Joint Task Force 101

By Sgt. Paul David Ondik
Combined Joint Task Force - 101

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – Soldiers from the 440th Blood Supply Detachment held a blood-screening, Sept. 25, 2008, in the Combined Joint Task Force - 101 Joint Operations Center at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, drawing almost double the donors as during an average day.

This particular screening is in addition to a regular screening which takes place Wednesdays at Craig Joint Theater Hospital at Bagram. These screenings will aid in identifying and filling matching blood types in case of a mass-casualty event.

And the troops seemed happy to have the opportunity to make this small sacrifice - small, but one that may save a life.

"I've sat in meetings that have been a lot more painful than this," said Brig. Gen. Jim McConville, deputy commanding general-support for Combined Joint Task Force - 101.

"Most people have about 6 to 8 ounces," said Spc. Jessica Prewit, as she filled four to five small vials of blood, which may look like a lot from the receiving end of the needle, but in actuality only comes to about a half-ounce of fluid.

"I'm hoping to do [this] more often, to get more people," said Sgt. Bridget Imperato, a laboratory technician and native of Corpus Christie, Texas.

Normally blood supplies are shipped from the United States and distributed among the approximately 22,000 coalition troops that make up CJTF-101 and Regional Command - East, spread throughout the bases in eastern Afghanistan.

There are also new processes in the works for blood donation and storage for these deployed troops.

"We've just started a frozen blood program. The frozen blood is good for 10 years," Imperato said.

Blood shipped from the U.S. is stockpiled, Imperato said. This screening is a contingency in case of an unforeseen need for a rare type.

The screenings draw around 50 people on an average day. The blood drawn provides a large sample which can help technicians locate rare blood-type donors in case of emergency.

• Date Taken: 09.25.2008
• Date Posted: 09.25.2008 10:26
• Story ID: 24134
• Location: BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF