By Rodney Jackson, Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center Public Affairs
FORT CAVAZOS, Texas – The Robertson Blood Donor Center and Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center staff, along with the Mayor of Harker Heights, held a brief ceremony to commission the blood mobile back into service – while it was simultaneously open for a blood drive at the hospital Oct. 10.
Having it back and operational will make donating easier for service members, veterans, beneficiaries, and non-beneficiaries.
The blood mobile has been nonoperational for the past five years. Maintenance issues with the vehicle delayed its use. The COVID-19 epidemic also delayed repairs.
“I can’t thank the staff enough for helping get the blood mobile back online,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Anthony Forker Jr., CRDAMC’s most senior enlisted member. “We can’t do what we do as Soldiers without that (blood) supply.”
For Army Medicine there are two centers of gravity, one is the combat medic and the other is blood, he added.
According to health.mil, donated blood is used every day at hospitals and clinics worldwide across the Military Health System.
The Armed Services Blood Program, also known as the Military Blood Program, is the official military provider of blood products to U.S. armed forces and donations can save service members injured in action, a cancer patient, or family member that needs surgery.
A retired military officer himself, Harker Heights Mayor Michael Blomquist added, “I’m happy to be out here to represent our city, be a part of the activities here at Fort Cavazos and support our military.”
“I vaguely remember the blood donor center having a bus when I was stationed here,” Blomquist said. “It’s a mobile unit, so it can go where the Soldiers are and allows them to donate without taking off a lot of time during the day.”
Although the bus can’t go off post to the communities, it will allow military retirees and active-duty folks that live in our community to come on post to the Exchange, shoppettes, or wherever the bus is to donate, he added.
Operated by the Armed Services Blood Program, the RBDC cannot conduct blood drives off post, but local community members who want to conduct a local blood drive can coordinate it through Carter Health Care, according to Ian Wilson, blood donor recruiter, RBDC.
“Having the blood mobile back at the RBDC makes it a lot more accessible for us to do blood drives at battalions and allows us to be available to more people in our area, Wilson said.
Beneficiaries and nonbeneficiaries are welcome to donate with RBDC, on post.
The RBDC is open from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays. Those interested in donating can call 254-285-5808 to make an appointment or go directly to the blood center at 2250 West 761st Tank Battalion Avenue.
Those unable to donate themselves can contact Wilson at 210-292-8145 to make a difference by organizing blood drives for their unit.
