AMLC hosts Fort Detrick blood drive, supports warfighter readiness

FORT DETRICK, Md. – A single unit of blood on the battlefield can be the difference between life and death for an injured Soldier.

Recognizing that reality, personnel across Fort Detrick joined together Oct. 2 to donate 30 units of blood during a U.S. Army Medical Logistics Command-hosted blood drive.

The drive, coordinated in partnership with the Armed Services Blood Program, or ASBP, produced enough blood products to support up to 90 service members, veterans, military families and civilians worldwide.

Every whole-blood donation collected can be separated into three essential components – red blood cells, platelets and plasma – directly supporting trauma care, surgical operations and critical clinical needs in both deployment environments and military medical treatment facilities.

Beyond its lifesaving potential, the effort also saved the military medical system more than $8,000 in blood procurement costs, according to ASBP estimates.

For AMLC, the event served as a direct operationalization of the command’s core priorities of people, mission and partnerships.

“Through the collection of 30 units of blood, AMLC and our mission partners demonstrated how unified effort saves lives, sustains medical capability and strengthens resilience of the joint force,” said Col. Deon Maxwell, AMLC commander.

The donor pool reflected a broad joint and interagency community footprint across Fort Detrick. Personnel participated from AMLC, the 6th Medical Logistics Management Center, Defense Health Agency, Defense Logistics Agency, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, U.S. Navy and Air Force.

“The event reinforced the critical importance of partnerships,” AMLC Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew DeCola said. “Collaboration among AMLC, the Armed Services Blood Program and the many tenant organizations represented in Building 693 enabled the command to make an immediate, measurable contribution to force health protection and readiness.”

Organizers noted that events like this give personnel an immediate way to embody selfless service, while directly reinforcing joint force health protection.

Headquartered at Fort Detrick, AMLC, a major subordinate command to U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, serves as the Army’s Class VIII medical materiel command, delivering integrated medical logistics that enables Army and Joint Forces readiness from the strategic support area to the tactical edge.