By Sgt. 1st Class Tre Marris
4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office
The Armed Services Blood Program at Fort Bliss, Texas, recognized the Mountain Post May 4, 2016, for its 2015 support of the annual Fort Carson Blood Drive in which participants amassed 332 pints of donated blood.
Maj. Jennifer Marin, officer in charge of the Fort Bliss Blood Donor Center, presented Command Sgt. Maj. Michael A. Crosby, 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson, with a plaque to highlight Fort Carson’s participation in exceeding its quota during last year’s blood drive.
The award was presented during this year’s drive, held May 2-4, 2016, at the William “Bill” Reed Special Events Center. Crosby stressed the value of donating as this year proved to be another successful donation year for the Mountain Post, bringing in a final tally of 476 pints of donated blood.
“I think it is very important that Soldiers know there is an opportunity to give back, and the blood that they are donating can save lives,” said Crosby. “We just cannot take for granted that it is a resource that is readily available at all times.”
Sgt. Maj. Luis A. Maldonado, 4th Inf. Div. chief medical NCO, said he attributes the leadership, Soldiers and commitment to troops for the success rate of blood donations and another strong showing of support from the Mountain Post community.
“Everybody here is willing to help,” Maldonado said. “This blood is going to the troops overseas; that is one of the many reasons why we owe it to each other to give.”
Due to high participation rates at Fort Carson in the past, a third day was added to this year’s drive, said Lori Kuczmanski, public affairs specialist, Fort Bliss Blood Donor Center, Armed Services Blood Program.
“It’s great for everybody to contribute and be a part of this mission,” said Kuczmanski. “We experienced
really good support from Fort Carson to include Soldiers, civilians, Family members and other service members from around the Colorado Springs area.”