120th Infantry Brigade initiates blood program Posted On: Tuesday, Oct. 27 2009 03:21 PM Special to the Hood Herald

Capt. Cheryl H. Bordwine knows the power of blood.

Five years ago, eight strangers saved her life. She will never meet them, but each donated a unit of blood used to save her life in surgery.

As the brigade surgeon of Division West's 120th Infantry Brigade, she is in a position to do something about that.

Working with her brigade commander, Col. J. T. Smith, Bordwine contacted the Robertson Blood Center at Fort Hood and began making plans for an Armed Services blood drive.

Their initial plan was to conduct one large blood drive and surge every blood donor they could on a single day. The Robertson Blood Center asked them to take a more steady approach.

Smith approved a plan to empower donors to visit the donor center on post at regular intervals.

The goal of the Armed Services Blood Program is to push the required units of blood and blood products onto the battlefield on the fifth day after collection. To do this effectively requires a steady stream of products and not just big collections at long intervals.

"It doesn't fit on a poster as easily," Bordwine said, "but when the donors of the necessary blood groups report to the center, we are able to directly target the need on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Lt. Col. Dennis Dombrowski, the Robertson center's director said, " more than 70 percent of the requirements for blood shipped into theater are for O-positive units."

The 120th Infantry Brigade's blood drive will take place today, Thursday and Friday at the Robertson Blood Center.

Family members, supporters and the community are encouraged to turn out and support one of Fort Hood's newest units and the soldiers deployed around the world by signing in and donating blood. Appointments are not necessary but may be made online by going to www.militarylifeforce.com and searching on the sponsor code "DIVWEST."

To find out more about the Armed Services Blood Program or to arrange a military blood drive, go to www.militaryblood.dod.mil.