Team Dover wins first inter-base blood drive competition

Lt. Col. Jerome Vinluan, Armed Services Blood Program deputy director, presents Col. Patricia Fowler, 436th Medical Group commander, with an award for winning a blood drive challenge March 19, 2018, at Dover Air Force Base, Del. The challenge took place last quarter against Joint Base Andrews, Md. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Airman 1st Class Zoe M. Wockenfuss)

Team Dover wins first inter-base blood drive competition

Team Dover participated in a blood drive hosted by the Armed Services Blood Program at the Dover Air Force Base Fitness Center March 19, 2018. The ASBP was established over 60 years ago to collect, process, store and transport blood and blood products to ill or injured service members, veterans and their families worldwide. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Airman 1st Class Zoe M. Wockenfuss)

Team Dover wins first inter-base blood drive competition

Airman 1st Class Anthony Gramazio, 436th Aerial Port Squadron, donates blood at the Armed Services Blood Program blood drive at the Dover Air Force Base Fitness Center March 19, 2018. The ASBP operates across the United States to provide quality blood products to all service members when needed. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Airman 1st Class Zoe M. Wockenfuss)

Team Dover wins first inter-base blood drive competition

Published March 27, 2018
By Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Jenne
436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- Col. Patricia Fowler, 436th Medical Group commander, accepted an award March 19, 2018, on behalf of Team Dover for defeating the 11th Wing at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, in a blood drive competition.

Both installations host routine Armed Services Blood Program blood drives. To encourage more donations, the installations collaborated to create Dover’s first inter-base blood drive competition.

The ASBP is the official blood collection, manufacturing, transfusion program and provider of blood and blood products to the U.S. armed forces. Blood cannot be donated directly to the military through a civilian organization, so military members rely on the donations received during these drives.

“Donated blood and blood products go directly to saving the lives of fellow Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and their families,” said Tech. Sgt. Daniel Slay, 436th Operations Support Squadron C-17 Globemaster III training manager and blood drive competition point of contact. “Within 72 hours of donating blood, that blood is on an airplane destined for [deployed locations] or other areas of military need to be put directly to use in rescuing members.”

Team Dover supported the drive with 66 volunteers during the 2017 4th quarter blood drive. At the end of the drive, ASBP members collected 48 units of potent blood, an amount that would cost the military $93,600 to purchase.

Slay said he didn’t know how much blood the Airmen of JB Andrews donated, but he was told it was close, even though JB Andrews personnel outnumber Dover AFB personnel approximately 14,000 to 10,000.

“Team Dover once again exhibited its excellence and support by donating in record numbers to save service members’ lives,” Slay said. “The ASBP Blood Challenge Award is only the embodiment of Team Dover’s selfless commitment to helping those in need; whether by executing humanitarian missions or donating blood. Team Dover proved again that the motto, ‘Aim high, Dover pride,’ is more than just words.”

The ASBP will visit Dover AFB again for blood drives several times throughout 2018, including May 14, August 13 and October 15.