FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – Residents of the Clarksville and surrounding communities can support deployed service members by participating in an Armed Services Blood Program blood drive Aug. 27, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Screaming Eagle Medical Home located at 647 Dunlop Lane, Suite 301, next to Tennova Healthcare.
An ASBP blood drive will be held on Fort Campbell, Aug. 28 and 29 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Soldier Support Center at 2702 Michigan Ave.
The ASBP is the official blood collection and transfusion agency for the U.S. military. It provides blood and blood products to military medical facilities in Afghanistan, Iraq and other deployed locations as well as those on installations around the world. Blood donations are perishable and program officials said the Military Healthcare System requires 400 units of blood every day and looks to the ASBP to deliver that blood.
“Our mission for [Department of Defense] is to provide blood and blood products for our warfighters and our healthcare beneficiaries,” said Col. Jason Corley, Army Blood Program, director, during a previous visit to Fort Campbell. “Blood donations are vital to military healthcare both at home and on the battlefield. Our wounded service members and their families will benefit greatly from everyone’s generosity and teamwork.”
ASBP drives are conducted quarterly on Fort Campbell, but this will be its first blood drive conducted in the community at Screaming Eagle.
“There are frequent blood draws conducted on Fort Campbell and the Soldiers usually do a pretty good job about making those donations. What we’re targeting here is the civilian community who are not normally included in these blood drives. There is no requirement for military affiliation to donate at Screaming Eagle,” said Dr. Mark Trawinski, medical director of the Screaming Eagle Medical Home, Blanchfield’s family practice clinic located in Medical Office Building One, adjacent to Tennova
Healthcare.
A retired Army physician who has deployed six times, Trawinski is no stranger to the blood program, which is why he suggested that blood drive planners use his facility so community members who may
not have access to the post could participate too.
“I have seen firsthand the value of having blood on hand in our hospitals and forward surgical teams. It’s a life-saving commodity,” said Trawinski. “I’ve been affiliated with Fort Campbell and Clarksville since 1986. It is such a patriotic community and I can really count on people to step up and help with this blood donation.”
Blood donors must be 17 years old and older. Potential blood donors must weigh at least 110 pounds and been feeling well for at least three days prior. They must also be well-hydrated and have eaten something before donating. Those wanting to donate should bring a photo ID (military ID, driver’s license, etc.) and a list of foreign countries traveled to, including when, where and for how long.
Donors will receive a free ASBP t-shirt as well as juice and cookies.
Since 1962, the Armed Services Blood Program has served as the sole provider of blood for the U.S. military. As a joint operation, 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 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. To find out more about the ASBP visit www.militaryblood.dod.mil