A different way to serve

Photo By Chief Master Sgt. Paul Mann | Chief Master Sgt. Buddy Hutchison, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing command chief, places a DNA swab into a bone marrow donor kit being held by Tech. Sgt. Angela Machado at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia Nov. 4, 2011. Machado, 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron training non-commissioned officer, is herself a cancer survivor and is the 332nd AEW lead volunteer for next weeks' bone marrow donation drive.  

(UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)

11.03.2011

Story by Master Sgt. Paul Mann 

332d Air Expeditionary Wing

SOUTHWEST ASIA - Some people believe things happen for a reason or that being assigned to an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia will just end up being another spot on the globe you can tell your friends about.

For Tech. Sgt. Angela Machado, 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron training non-commissioned officer, she definitely falls into the “things happen for a reason” category.

Machado, a 15-year Air Force veteran, who is deployed from Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, arrived here Sept. 11, 2011. As an non-commissioned officer she expected to accomplish her assigned duties and ensure the airmen in her unit were properly trained, but had no idea that she’d have an opportunity to be involved with what she feels is, “probably one of the biggest things I’ve ever done.”

The 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing bone marrow donation drive will be held Nov. 11 to 16 and Machado is the wing’s lead volunteer.

She became aware of the donor program while talking with 332nd ESFS operations superintendent, Senior Master Sgt. Leonard Arsenault, about how she is a cancer survivor. When Arsenault heard this he asked Machado if she would be interested in doing a bone marrow drive and she jumped at the opportunity.

“I don’t tell a lot people that, but this is different” said Machado, who is a native of Richmond, Va. “This is me as a cancer survivor stepping forward.”

With a little research, Arsenault found out that a bone marrow drive had just ended at another undisclosed location and that there were 500 donor kits available for use. Having this information made the possibility of a local donor drive a reality.

All of the 332nd AEW professional organizations will be briefed about the drive for organizers to get the word out to as many airmen as possible and they are also looking for additional volunteers. According to statistics provided to Machado, for every 300 donors there is one match. With 500 kits available, during the drive she’s hoping to reach 300 donations, which will mean the airmen of the 332nd AEW could potentially save a life.

Chief Master Sgt. Buddy Hutchison, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing command chief, was the wing’s first donor. Machado met with the chief, explained the process and then took the DNA samples required to complete the donor application.

When asked what he would like 332nd airmen to do, the chief said, “I would just ask them to look into it, see if it is something they want to do…I think it’s a small sacrifice to potentially save someone’s life.”

Becoming a bone marrow donor is just the first step in what could give a cancer patient the ability to battle one of more than 70 potentially fatal diseases. Next week the airmen of the 332nd AEW will all be given their own opportunity to serve, but in a different way.

For more information, contact Machado at 454-0902 or via email at [e-mail]

• Date Taken: 11.03.2011
• Date Posted: 11.08.2011 02:17
• Story ID: 79700
• Location: (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)