Do something for the troops Published Feb. 13, 2007 By Douglas M. Rule Fort Carson Public Affairs Office FORT CARSON, Colo. -- There isn't a day that goes by that someone in the military doesn't get a phone call or an e-mail asking what the sender can do for servicemembers who are deployed overseas. Usually the response is a heartfelt thanks and suggestions to contact charitable organizations that support all deployed military personnel, local charities that do similar things or family readiness groups. Now we have a definitive answer for this time period. From March 19-23, Fort Carson and the U.S. Air Force Academy will host a blood drive. This is not the normal "roll up your sleeves and give to the local agency" kind of drive. This is part of the Armed Services Blood Program. The Armed Services Blood Program collects blood, processes it within the Department of Defense and immediately sends it out to the field, where it is most needed. That need, right now, is in Iraq and Afghanistan. A single unit of blood can mean the difference between life and death for an injured servicemember in the field. It can mean the difference between losing a limb or keeping a leg or arm. When an outside organization comes onto base to collect blood, that organization processes the blood, then sells it to whoever needs it. When the Army, Air Force, Navy or Marine Corps buys the blood back, even if it came from a Soldier, Airman, Sailor or Marine, it can cost the government about $680. Not only that, there can be negotiating about trading blood -- larger amounts of more common blood types for lesser quantities of rarer blood. So in order to get a unit of O negative blood, one might have to wheel and deal with five units of O positive. The ironic situation is that if there were a natural disaster locally and blood was desperately needed, the Army would donate what they have on hand gratis. ASBP reports that about 500 units are needed each week in Iraq. One Soldier recently needed 300 units alone. When the blood is drawn either at Fort Carson or the Academy, it will be brought to Peterson Air Force Base and flown to Fort Hood, Texas, for processing. Within 72 hours, that same blood may be in a field hospital in Iraq saving the life of a wounded servicemember. Because of donation restrictions, servicemembers and civilians who have traveled to Iraq cannot donate for one year. Many of those same people have been stationed in Europe as well. Unfortunately, being in both locations has the potential for the donor to have a blood-borne disease. We can't save an Airman or Soldier, then unnecessarily risk his life for something that could have been prevented. Click here for a list of restrictions. ASBP has set aside a week when about 100 Department of Defense medical personnel will come to Colorado Springs to collect blood. They will be at the Air Force Academy March 19-21 and Fort Carson March 22-23. What is important it to get the word out now. If you want to donate blood for this drive, you cannot have given blood after Jan. 23. But it is also time to get "mobilized." Cut this article out. Stick it to your refrigerator. Mark your calendar. Make copies. Take it to church, the office or to your social organization. Reprint it in your bulletin. E-mail highlights to friends and co-workers. Set up a challenge to see how many people you can recruit. Get the word out. Can't give blood, but want to help? There are a lot of supporting roles you can play. Contact Command Sgt. Major Joseph Van Dyke at 526-2549 or Master Sgt. Lisa Belsher at 526-0423. You want to give something to the troops? Give them the gift of life.