The line of trucks stretching back along the
road to this border crossing in the Khyber Pass runs a mile or more, and as it
eases forward there's a distinct tinkling sound amid the wheezing and coughing
of the diesel engines.
Marines with tattoos covering most of their arms or legs
cannot serve as recruiters or guards at U.S. embassies, a recent Marine Corps
message said.
The center, which supports all U.S. Pacific Command's blood needs, says it
gets harder every year to fill the bank as the pool of available donors
continues to shrink due to overseas deployments. To continue to support the U.S.
Pacific Command's more than 185,000 beneficiaries, the center needs more people
to donate blood regularly, said the center's director, Cmdr. Rich Hayden.
They've been selected, they've been trained, and on Tuesday
the Navy's newest chief petty officers had their anchors pinned on their collars
in ceremonies held all over the world, on land and at sea.
