Gunfighter blood donations help wounded warriors

  • Published
  • By Maj. Damien Pickart
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho (ACCNS) --  Gunfighter blood donors can smile knowing their contributions had a direct impact recently on wounded veterans returning from operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Mountain Home AFB was one of only two military installations able to help replenish the depleted blood supply at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C. by sending 25 units of critically-needed blood through American Red Cross channels. 

Their assistance was prompted by a request from the Army Surgeon General's Office Jan. 22 -- the blood was sent out the following day.

"Because of the efforts you made, we were able to ship invaluable blood to WRAMC and keep them in business until their next shipment arrived," said Jim Koseki, 366th Medical Group laboratory services transfusion supervisor and wing blood drive chairman, in an e-mail thank you message sent out to the wing.

WRAMC is the U.S. Army's East Coast medical facility and has provided critical medical treatment and care for many of the more than 30,000 wounded veterans returning from operations in Iraq and Afghanistan after treatment at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Unusually bad weather conditions on the East Coast throughout December 2007 and January greatly decreased donor turnout and number of blood units collected by local banks. WRAMC's next shipment of blood was scheduled to take place several days after a flight of wounded patients arrived from Landstuhl in need of multiple life-saving operations.

According to Mr. Koseki, Lackland AFB, Texas, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, and other large donor centers could not send blood because of their monthly quota of blood due to the major national blood shipment centers.

"Our wing is known far and wide for its generosity," said Mr. Koseki. "After we received the call for support, I called Col. Laurel Dinerstein, Individual Mobility Augmentee to the director of the Air Force Blood Program Office, to let her know units were on the way. She told me she knew we would be the first to respond as we've done several times before."

Mountain Home AFB and the American Red Cross hold a blood drive every 56 days, which is the required recovery time between donations. The wing provided 83 units of blood during its December 2007 blood drive. The next blood drive is scheduled for April 1 and 2.

Mr. Koseki pointed out the generosity and support of the American Red Cross Lewis and Clark Region in making the delivery possible. They shipped the blood the same day Mountain Home AFB requested it and paid the shipping costs.

"If you know someone that donated at the December blood drive, shake their hand and pat them on the back," said Mr. Koseki. "Tell them it's from those wounded heroes coming home to their loved ones who now have Gunfighter blood in their veins."