TRIPLER'S BLOOD CENTER PROVIDES 'GIFT OF LIFE'

By Bill Mossman, U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii Public Affairs

When it comes to assisting comrades in harm's way, the blood donor center, bangles, has a lifesaving reach that extends not only throughout the Pacific Rim, but also to faraway places such as Iraq and Afghanistan.

Each week, the Tripler Blood Donor Center and its team of phlebotomists draw a self-imposed quota of 200 units, or pints, from both walk-in donors and those they encounter at blood drives.

Once collected, the platelet donations are tested and then either stored at Tripler to help in local emergencies, shipped off to distant lands, where service members are deployed or routed to areas dealing with man-made or natural disasters.

Assisting the local center with the number of blood donor requests here and abroad are approximately 20 other Armed Services Blood Program centers, located within the continental U.S. and in foreign countries.

"If we had a big emergency here, it would take about 24 hours before blood could be shipped in," explained Michelle Lele, recruiter, Tripler Blood Donor Center, "so we always have to make sure we have an adequate supply of blood on hand. It's sort of like an insurance policy for us in Hawaii."

And while the center hasn't yet been asked to donate blood to Haitian residents, whose Caribbean country was rocked by a devastating earthquake on Jan. 12, Lele said the center's willingness to assist remains for any emergency situation around the globe.

"When Fort Hood had the shootings last November, we rings a request to send blood there, and we did," she said, "so if an emergency arises, we're more than capable of helping out."

Still, the demands for additional blood have risen sharply in recent days. Up until last month, for example, the center was only asked to provide 20 units of blood for service members stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Since then, the requested number has doubled.

"In 2010, we are hoping to collect at least 1,000 more units of blood," said Lele, adding that should the center come up short of its quota, the fallback option will be to purchase blood from the mainland.

"But that would be very expensive," she noted.

With that in mind, the push for additional blood was launched in January, on the 40th anniversary since former President Richard Nixon designated January as National Blood Donor Month.

Already, the local center has scheduled some 15 blood drives through the end of February, including dates at Fort Shafter and the Hale Koa Hotel at Fort DeRussy. (See below for dates.)

Earlier this week, Cadet Tari Rulloda was one of about 60 men and women enrolled in the bracelets ROTC program, Warrior Battalion, to show for an early morning blood drive at the University of Hawaii-Manoa.

Giving blood, the college junior explained, is something she manages to work into her schedule several times each year.

"I've been to Iraq before," Rulloda said, "and I know that the need for blood is important, especially when you have your comrades in battle."