32nd EMDS ensures mission readiness across AFCENT

Photo By Airman 1st Class Jonah Bliss | The U.S. Air Force 332nd Expeditionary Medical Squadron displays their logo in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Nov. 13, 2025. The 332nd EMDS plays a key role in keeping the blood supply chain steady and secure throughout the CENTCOM AOR. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jonah Bliss)  

(UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)

11.15.2025

Story by Airman 1st Class Jonah Bliss 

United States Air Forces Central           

U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY – Blood shipments moving across the CENTCOM AOR ensure deployed service members have access to critical, life-saving resources. The 332nd Expeditionary Medical Squadron plays a key role in keeping that supply chain steady and secure.
“We get weekly shipments of blood from Al Udeid,” said Master Sgt. Malissa Ross, 332nd EMDS laboratory noncommissioned officer in charge. “I get an email with how many units of blood are coming and what sites they need to go to.”
The blood arrives in temperature-controlled containers before medical personnel transfer it to the squadron’s medical refrigerators.
As the sole laboratory technician at the 332nd EMDS, Ross inspects each shipment to ensure they are safe for use and ready for distribution to six forward operating bases throughout the region.
She checks for signs of clotting, verifies temperatures, confirms paperwork accuracy, and ensures each unit meets strict standards before it can be issued.
“Once everything is good to go,” said Ross, “I message the geographically separated units’ teams to let them know the blood is ready for pick up from our location.”
For Ross, the mission is personal.
“I tend to think about my kids and parents when I’m working,” she said. “If my family ever needed blood, I’d want someone to handle it with the same care. Lab work is behind the scenes and often thankless, but we know the impact we make is huge.”
The 332nd EMDS’s role in managing and distributing blood across the CENTCOM AOR ensures medical teams at remote locations have the resources they need to save lives and keep service members in the fight.

• Date Taken: 11.15.2025
• Date Posted: 12.04.2025 03:38
• Story ID: 552908
• Location: (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)