Travis to host military blood drive Published Aug. 26, 2008 By Victor Shermer and Capt. Knudsen 60th Air Mobility Wing blood drive representatives TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The Armed Services Blood Bank Center will be conducting a blood drive at Travis Sept. 9 and 10 at the Travis Conference Center ballroom. The doors will be open to accept walk-in donors from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. The process of donating blood, from beginning to end, takes approximately 45 minutes. This includes registration, interview and physical screening, and the collection of a pint of blood, which takes five to 10 minutes. Except for a small needle prick, the process is mostly painless. The blood (one unit is approximately one pint) collected will be in Iraq or Afghanistan approximately two weeks from the time it is donated. One example of when donations like these saved lives was when two sets of soldiers were hit by inprovised explosive devices. This event required the transfusion of 135 units of blood. Additionally, two other soldiers sustained severe injuries requiring 14 units for one soldier and 51 units for the other. They made it home alive thanks to the donations given by the people willing to donate a little of themselves and their time. The ASBBC is one of two military blood donor centers in the Western Region. The center is based at Fort Lewis/McChord Air Force Base, Wash., and travels all over the region collecting blood from various military organizations and installations. The ASBBC is seeking all eligible people associated with DoD to help, including contractors, military dependents, retirees and Reservists. The ASBBC has a requirement to fulfill three basic needs: the needs of troops overseas, which is the first priority, the needs of military hospitals in the region and any other military hospitals whose blood donor centers can't support them at a particular time. In order to meet these requirements, the ASBBC must collect approximately 800 units of blood per month, a goal increasingly difficult to reach due to increased deployments since Sept. 11. When blood shortages occur, the difference must be purchased from civilian blood centers. Depending on the type and availability of blood, prices can range from $200 to $400 per unit. In addition, after members return home, many are ineligible to donate for up to a year based on their deployment location. Below are some additional reasons why potential donors are deferred: -- Spent three months in the United Kingdom or six months anywhere else in Western Europe between 1980 and 1996, or have a cummulative total of five years or more in Europe from 1997 to present. -- Had a tattoo put on or altered within the past year, although 20 approved states only have a one-week waiting period. Restriction will be posted at the blood drive. -- Stationed in Korea between Seoul and the DMZ in the past two years Even if a person is found to be ineligible, there are other ways to help. Emphasizing the importance of donating to others who are eligible can aid in increasing donations. Formally established as the Military Blood Program in 1952 by presidential order as part of the National Blood Program, today's Armed Services Blood Program consists of approximately 81 blood banks and blood donor centers worldwide, including 21 Food and Drug Administration licensed blood donor centers. Some, like the Armed Service Blood Bank Center, are Joint Operations consisting of Army, Air Force and Navy personnel. A staff member will answer questions at the door during the drive to help determine eligibility. Contact Travis blood drive coordinator Capt. Sheldon Knudsen at 707-816-3234 for any questions. Additionally, to find other answers about donor eligibility, visit the Armed Services Blood Program website at http://www.militaryblood.dod.mil/default.aspx.