While amassing blood is an important a part of the Armed Services Blood Program, delivering it to the sector ensures that medical professionals have the provision they should save lives. The ASBP, together with blood applications from every navy service, helps combatant instructions by transporting life-saving blood to the battlefield.

“The ASBP works closely with the combatant commands to ensure that blood products are available and delivered to the locations where they are needed,” U.S. Army Col. (P) Christopher Lee Evans, director of the Army Blood Program at Joint Base San Antonio. “The service components’ blood programs play a vital role in ensuring that military service members and their families receive the care and treatment they need to survive on the battlefield and helps save lives in times of emergency.”

The ASBP will get blood donations by the blood drives they maintain all over the world at their assortment facilities or by their cell blood drives.

“The blood our patients need is the blood we have on the shelf right now. We need people to get out, donate blood, and make a habit of it. The ASBP is dedicated to supporting our warfighters, their families, veterans, and retirees,” stated U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey Hebert, head of the U.S. Navy blood program.

Having an extra of blood provide “comes down to readiness,” in keeping with Hebert.

“Blood is one of those things where you don’t know you need it until you do. Having blood on the shelf ensures medical providers have the tools they need to save lives when they need it,” he stated.

Getting Blood to Where it’s Needed

After receiving the donated blood, the ASBP then must get the blood to combatant instructions. The ASBP first processes, checks, and shops the blood.

“The collected blood is then packaged and shipped to military hospitals and clinics, forward-deployed locations, and other locations as needed. Once shipped, the blood is then stored in a blood bank until it is needed for a surgical procedure or emergency transfusion. Then, the blood is delivered to the field/surgical unit, where it is administered to the patient by a medical professional,” stated Evans.

What Happens if There is a Shortage within the Field

“If there is a shortage of blood in the field, the ASBP may increase the number of blood drives, or collect blood from other sources such as other blood banks, or use commercial flights to transport the blood from one location to another,” stated Evans.

“The ASBP coordinates with military hospitals or clinics, forward-deployed locations, and other organizations to ensure a steady supply of blood is available to meet the needs of the military,” he added.

The ASBP may maintain blood drives within the subject to assist navy operations worldwide, or cell blood drives from donors at forward-deployed areas, navy bases, and different areas.

“These mobile blood drives are usually set up in temporary locations, such as tents or trailers, and are essential to meet the needs of the military in the field,” stated Evans.

ASBP’s main focus is to get the donated blood to the warfighter or member of the family who want it.

“We enable survival,” Hebert stated. “War is not pretty, but blood helps bring our warfighters back home. By having blood available at our military hospitals and clinics, it brings a feeling of security to our warfighters, because they know their families and loved ones will have the blood they need at home when something happens.”