Saved a life lately? Published Oct. 19, 2006 By 2nd Lt. Kelly Stuart 43rd Operations Support Squadron POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Every 56 days, eligible blood donors have the potential to save three lives. If the estimated 2,500 eligible military donors at Pope donated on a regular basis, an additional 15,000 pints of blood would be available every year on the battlefield and in military medical treatment facilities. Sadly, only 5% of the eligible population takes the time to donate regularly. Pope blood drives support the Armed Services Blood Program, which is a DoD program comprising the Air Force, Army and Navy. The program was developed to provide blood products to service members and their families worldwide. There are more than 20 ASBP blood donor centers in the United States and around the world, one of which is located at Fort Bragg. Each month, the Fort Bragg blood donation goal is to collect 550 pints of blood through donors on post and through mobile blood drives. Since January, Team Pope has donated 191 pints during blood drives and walk-ins at the BDC. Unfortunately, during two months in this calendar year, the Fort Bragg BDC did not meet its 550 pint per month goal. With the high deployment rate at Pope, many military members are temporarily deferred from donating. Deferments can range to a few months to indefinitely, depending on the situation and history of the donor. If you're uncertain of your eligibility, please take the time to call the Fort Bragg Donor Center at 396-9925 to determine if any deferment applies to your situation. If you know you're about to deploy, please donate blood prior to the deployment to ensure sufficient quantities are available for the front line. With the holiday season fast approaching, blood demand typically soars while donations plummet. If sufficient blood supply for the military is not met within the military community, the ASBP must purchase blood from outside sources, costing as much as $250 per pint. However, the high-demand, low-availability period over the next few months extends to the civilian community as well, thus eliminating any possibility of maintaining sufficient quantities of blood to support the battlefield and MTFs. The upcoming blood drives at Pope are crucial to meet the demand that will typically arise over the next three months. As all blood products have an expiration date, the need for fresh blood is continuous. Each year, military hospitals transfuse more than 54,000 units of red blood cells, 20,000 units of plasma, and more than 5,000 units of platelets. Sixty percent of Americans will need blood or blood products at some point in their lives. What have you done lately to save a life?