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CAFB blood drive model for success
Posted 6/8/2012 Updated 6/8/2012
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by Senior Airman Chase Hedrick
14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
6/8/2012 - COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- A recent blood drive at Columbus Air Force Base may set the pace for future blood drives here and at other Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training Bases across Air Education and Training Command.
Columbus AFB marked a successful blood drive May 24, donating 173 units of blood directly to military members in the AoR through The Armed Services Blood Program from Keesler Air Force Base.
A report on the blood drive estimated 250 military members, contractors, civilians and dependents attempted to donate, more than the blood drive was prepared for. Despite just under 10 percent of the base's population looking to donate mission impact was minimal due to scheduled appointments for 212 of the volunteer donors said the report.
"We've demonstrated that even on the busiest base in the Air Force we can still draw a large number of people to give blood without losing mission," said Col. Johann Westphall, 14th Medical Group.
Maj. Keith Yester, 14th Operations Group point of contact for the blood drive attributed the successful drive to the willingness of CAFB members to help out in any way they could. From the assistance of the 14th Medical Group and Capt. Adam Irvin to plan the drive, the spouses and volunteers who helped the ASBP team, to the members who inspired donors with stories of how their conations would save lives such as those told by Capt. Clinton Oja.
The success is all the more important with AETC's cost conscious culture, since the donations saved the Air Force an estimated $44,634 for blood that would otherwise have had to be bought according to Master Sgt. Brian Fisher, 14th Medical Support Squadron Superintendent.
The low mission impact coupled with high success and savings may make this a model for future drives said Westphall.
"Now that we've shown we can do this we're planning to build this process and send it out to other SUPT bases," said Wesphall. "That's an AETC win, and an Air Force win."
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