Sailors, assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), donated blood in support of military forces on special missions and exercises in the region, Sept. 20.
Hosted in the ship’s medical bay, representatives of the U.S. Pacific Command Armed Services Blood Bank Center (PACOM ASBBC) collected blood that will be transported to the Philippines for upcoming joint exercises as part of a contingency plan, as well as support local hospitals’ blood banks.
“The blood donated will serve two purposes: it is going to the Marines that may need it during the exercises and to the Philippine hospitals,” said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Evan Fitch, from Vancouver, Wash., blood drive coordinator aboard Bonhomme Richard. “We have been trying to set up the blood drive with ASBBC Okinawa for a while now, and I am glad that this port visit we are able to provide full support to them.”
According to Fitch, donated blood is utilized in many ways, ranging from fresh, ready to use blood, red blood cells preservation for up to 10 years, or utilizing plasma and cryoprecipitate for burn victims. For the current purposes of the blood drive, medical staff plan to use the donations as fresh blood, covering the span of the exercises and providing humanitarian assistance if needed.
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