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Blood Donor Center: Saving lives one unit at a time

Airman Brenda Prudencio, 81st Force Support Squadron customer support specialist, has her blood drawn by Amber Horne, 81st Diagnostic and Therapeutics Squadron medical lab technician, during a blood drive at the Sablich Center June 21, 2016, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. To donate you must be at least 18 years old, have been feeling well for at least three days, be well hydrated and have eaten prior to donating. Tattoos, acupuncture, foreign travel and some immunizations can defer volunteers from donating for up to 12 months. The Keesler Blood Donor Center is located in the 81st Medical Group's Arnold Medical Annex. (U.S. Air Force photo by Kemberly Groue)

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Blood Donor Center: Saving lives one unit at a time

Airman Basic Taylor Gull, 336th Training Squadron, has his blood drawn during a blood drive at the Sablich Center June 21, 2016, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. To donate you must be at least 18 years old, have been feeling well for at least three days, be well hydrated and have eaten prior to donating. Tattoos, acupuncture, foreign travel and some immunizations can defer volunteers from donating for up to 12 months. The Keesler Blood Donor Center is located in the 81st Medical Group's Arnold Medical Annex. (U.S. Air Force photo by Kemberly Groue)

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Blood Donor Center: Saving lives one unit at a time

Amber Horne, 81st Diagnostic and Therapeutics Squadron medical lab technician, and 1st Lt. Melissa Miller, 81st MDTS blood donor center officer in charge, draw blood from Airman Basic Taylor Gull, 336th Training Squadron, during a blood drive at the Sablich Center June 21, 2016, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. To donate you must be at least 18 years old, have been feeling well for at least three days, be well hydrated and have eaten prior to donating. Tattoos, acupuncture, foreign travel and some immunizations can defer volunteers from donating for up to 12 months. The Keesler Blood Donor Center is located in the 81st Medical Group's Arnold Medical Annex. (U.S. Air Force photo by Kemberly Groue)

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Blood Donor Center: Saving lives one unit at a time

Larry Bank, 81st Diagnostic and Therapeutics Squadron medical technologist, completes the registration process for a patient during a blood drive at the Sablich Center June 21, 2016, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. The Keesler Blood Donor Center provides gifts, such as t-shirts and pins, for donors who give blood. The Keesler Blood Donor Center is located in the 81st Medical Group's Arnold Medical Annex. (U.S. Air Force photo by Kemberly Groue)

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Blood Donor Center: Saving lives one unit at a time

Wendy Ortega, 81st Diagnostic and Therapeutics Squadron medical lab technician, collects a blood sample from Airman Amia Hammett, 336th Training Squadron, during a blood drive at the Sablich Center June 21, 2016, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. To donate you must be at least 18 years old, have been feeling well for at least three days, be well hydrated and have eaten prior to donating. Tattoos, acupuncture, foreign travel and some immunizations can defer volunteers from donating for up to 12 months. The Keesler Blood Donor Center is located in the 81st Medical Group's Arnold Medical Annex. (U.S. Air Force photo by Kemberly Groue)

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Blood Donor Center: Saving lives one unit at a time

Published June 24, 2016
By Airman 1st Class Travis Beihl
81st Training Wing Public Affairs

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --

The Blood Donor Center is in need of blood donations in order to keep up with an increase in demand predicted by the Armed Services Blood Program.

The center, located at the Arnold Medical Annex, supplies blood for the ASBP, which is the official blood collection, manufacturing and transfusion program and provider of blood and blood products for the U.S. military.

“Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are preferred” said 1st Lt. Melissa Miller, 81st Diagnostic and Therapeutics Squadron blood donor center officer in charge. “We have a weekly donation quota we have to meet of 75 units and are always in need of O positive and O negative donations.”

Donating blood at the facility isn’t strictly limited to military personnel. Anyone who is 18 years or older and has an ID card is eligible to donate, including the student Airmen population here.

According to Lisa Lynn, Blood Donor Center blood recruiter, the entire process, from when you walk in to when you leave, should only take 30-45 minutes.

“When you come in to donate you fill out some paperwork, do a small interview and get your vital signs taken,” said Lynn. “Afterward, you get your bag issued and begin your donation.”

“Your donation is very important,” said Miller. “For every blood donation you are saving 2-3 lives.”

The need for blood products also affects Keesler Medical Center, one of the Air Force’s largest hospitals, where retirees, veterans, Reserve and active duty personnel receive care for a number of reasons.

“Keesler Medical Center has a high cancer population of veterans and retirees who need a lot of blood products,” said Miller. “We try to help them as much as we can so they don’t have to buy blood from other organizations.”

“Your simple act of donating blood helps more than you can imagine,” said Lynn. “Your blood donation helps not only on the front lines but also the families, retirees and veterans back home.”

The center will be hosting its next blood drive on June 27, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Don Wiley Auditorium. For more information or to host a blood drive, call 228-376-6100. The center is open Tuesday – Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.