CAMP PENDLETON , CALIFORNIA –
Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Camp Pendleton’s Junior Enlisted Association hosted the Armed Forces Blood Program – Camp Pendleton for a blood drive on Nov. 18, 2024, in the Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton galley meeting room.
Led by Petty Officer 2nd Class Daniel Kim, a laboratory technician corpsman from Naval Medical Center San Diego, the team of ten staff members from the AFBP-CP smoothly ushered through the dozens who showed up to donate blood.
“We’re out here collecting blood to support not just the warfighters, but this blood is also used for patients in our hospitals,” said Kim who hails from Chicago. “What we’re doing here truly changes lives and plays a critical role in healthcare.”
Lt. Linnea Leonard, an operating room nurse and a member of EMF 150 Alpha, was the first in line to donate.
“I just want to save lives and help people,” said Leonard, a native of Mendota, Ill. “Whenever I see a blood drive I try to donate.”
Next to get in line was Chief Petty Officer Richard Anderson, Expeditionary Medical Facility 150 Alpha’s operations chief.
“There is a great need for blood and I’m glad to do my part to help out,” said Anderson, a native of Burbank, Calif. “I’ve met several service members over the last 20 years whose lives were saved by blood. Donating is such and important, yet easy thing to do.”
Petty Officer 3rd Class Devin Velasco, an aerospace medical technician in NHCP’s Occupational Medicine Department, coordinated the blood drive on behalf of the JEA.
When asked why he worked so hard on the drive, Velasco, a native of Guam, said, “Because there are other people who definitely are going to be needing blood because there’s a shortage and hurricane Helene just hit the East Coast and they have a severe blood shortage right now.”
Some Sailors traveled from across the base to participate in the drive.
“I feel like it’s important to give back to the community that needs help when I have ample blood,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Gavin Simmons, a corpsman from the 13 Area Dental Clinic and a native of Evanston, Wyo.
To learn more about the Armed Forces Blood Program, visit https://health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Health-Readiness/ASBP.