Fort Knox, KY. – 1st Regiment, Advanced Camp Cadets are nearing the end of their time in Cadet Summer Training. Before their graduation and heading home, there is another important task to attend to, the Armed Services Blood Program (ASBP) blood drive.
The ASBP has a mission to provide quality blood products to healthcare operations globally. One way they meet that mission is to work with Cadet Summer Training.
Col. Jason Corley from the ASBP, says that both he and the staff of ASBP are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of Cadet Summer Training.
“We receive tremendous support from Cadet Command and the Garrison to occupy this facility today,” Corley said. “They put this event on the Cadet schedule to make sure they have the opportunity to donate. We are very thankful and fortunate to have that.”
Throughout the summer, ASBP will conduct 13 blood drives with the goal of collecting 4,000 to 4,100 donations.
Those donations will support patient care at Garrison Medical Treatment Facilities (MTFs) both here in the U.S. and overseas to the Middle East, Africa and aboard Navy fleet ships.
Cadets who are able to and choose to participate are educated on the ASBP’s mission and need for blood and then taken through the donation process.
Some Cadets are donating blood for the first time, while for other Cadets this is a normal routine.
Cadets like Colton Klaudt from Montana State University, found that ASBP’s mission hit close to home.
“There are a lot of people like my brother-in-law, who is fighting cancer, and have surgeries where they need blood,” Klaudt said.
Others like Cadet Lyla Ruzzo from Virginia Tech, take the education to heart and want to be a part of bettering their communities.
“This is the first time I am giving but it won’t be the last,” Ruzzo said.
Corley hopes that given this opportunity and education on the ASBP, these Cadets will take this information with them to their future destinations as Army Officers.
“It is a great chance to interact with our leaders while they are still receiving their training and education and hopefully they can take this information into their future jobs,” Corley said.
