Center ensures blood ships safely

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class J.G. Buzanowski
  • U.S. Central Command Air Forces-Forward Public Affairs
AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar (AFPN) --  No matter who you are, they have your type.

“They” are the six-person staff at the blood transshipment center here. The team, part of the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group, is the first rotation here since the one-of-a-kind center was relocated in March. The Airmen ship blood supplies everywhere in the U.S. Central Command area.

“Blood saves lives, bottom line,” said Capt. George Hestilow, the CENTCOM joint blood officer assigned to the Combined Air Operations Center here. “Blood supply units at forward locations depend on us to keep their supplies at the appropriate levels.”

Because of the short shelf life of blood products, its distribution is one of the highest priorities in the theater. The turnaround time at the blood transshipment center is under 48 hours, so by the time blood products get where they are needed, medical units have a three-week window before the products are no longer useable, the captain said.

“We deal with red blood cells, plasma and cryoprecipitate, all of which are necessary for medical teams on a ship or in the field,” said Captain Hestilow, who is deployed from Travis Air Force Base, Calif. “Accountability is extremely important, and that’s our main focus. We track which units have which types of blood products and get everyone what they need.”

He said his team is so good at sending out the much-needed shipments that no blood ever expires at the center.

To ensure that constant level of efficiency, the center is manned 24 hours a day, said 1st Lt. Sara Hatcher, the center’s chief who is deployed from Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.

“We are always ready in case of an emergency anywhere in the theater,” she said.

Because shipping blood is a priority, the Airmen in the center could not do their job effectively without help from the traffic management office staff, Captain Hestilow said.

“(TMO has) helped us tremendously,” he said. “They understand that when we show up with a package, it has to go out (as soon as possible).”

As a part of the first rotation to operate here, Airman 1st Class Covito Redman, also deployed from Davis-Monthan, said he is especially proud to be working at the center.

“We’re a part of something special,” Airman Redman said. “I know that we’re getting blood out there to help people on the front lines who need it, and I feel like I’m a part of the fight against terrorism. We’re helping people, and it just doesn’t get any better than that.”