Armed Services Blood Program – Fort Liberty Blood Donor Center

One of 20 donor centers that make up the Armed Services Blood Program. The services work together to provide blood for our deploying service members and patients here at home. Each service is charged with the responsibility of providing from its own resource to meet mission requirements and the demand for blood products. 
 
The mission of the Fort Liberty Blood Donor Center

• Ship blood products in support of deployed forces.
• Maintain a contingency shelf for deploying forces from Fort Liberty.
• Maintain a patient care shelf at Womack Army Medical Center.
• Support the needs of other within the ASBP and the DoD.

Need for Blood is Constant

Blood and blood products are used for patients of all ages for many reasons—from cancer patients to those with battlefield injuries, military members, and their families depend
 on blood donors every day. Your donation can save:

• A service member injured in action.
• A child with cancer
• A family member in need of heart surgery

How can you help!

• Contact us if your unit of organization would like to sponsor a blood drive. We can come to you or schedule a day for donations at the center.
• Walkins are always welcome or register and make an appointment online.
• To show our appreciation for your donation military donors may qualify for awards (Contact the donor center)

Before Your Donation

• Get plenty of sleep the night before you plan to donate.
• Eat a healthy meal before your donation. Avoid fatty foods, such as a hamburger, fries, or ice cream.
• Drink plenty of water before the donation.
• Check to see if any medications you are taking or recently took would prevent you from donating. For example, if you are a platelet donor, you must not take aspirin for two days prior to donating. Talk to your doctor before discontinuing any medications.

At Your Donation | Donation Process

• STEP 1: Donor registration. You will complete a series of donor questions, including your name, address, phone number, etc. You will be asked a few questions about your health.
• STEP 2: Receive a mini-physical. You will receive a mini-physical to ensure that you are healthy enough to donate blood. This includes checking your temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and iron level.
• STEP 3: Blood donation. You will be asked to recline in a donor chair and one of our phlebotomists will prepare your arm, sanitizing it, and asking you to squeeze your fist to increase blood circulation. Sterile, disposable, one-use-only supplies are used for your donation. Once blood collection is started, it typically takes about 20 minutes to donate one unit (about a pint).
• STEP 4: After your donation. Now you’ve earned a snack! We encourage you to relax in our refreshment area and enjoy some juice and cookies to replenish your body before you take on the rest of your day.

After Your Donation Guidance

• After donating, you will be directed to a refreshment area, where you rest and eat a light snack. After 15 minutes, you can leave if you are feeling just fine.

After your blood donation:

• Drink extra fluids.
• Avoid strenuous physical activity or heavy lifting for about five hours.
• If you feel lightheaded, lie down with your feet up until the feeling passes.
• Keep your bandage on and dry for the next five hours.
• If you have bleeding after removing the bandage, put pressure on the site and raise your arm until the bleeding stops.
• If bruising occurs, apply a cold pack to the area periodically during the first 24 hours.
• Consider adding iron-rich foods to your diet to replace the iron lost with blood donation.

Contact the blood donor center or your doctor if you:

• Forgot to report any important health information.
• Have signs and symptoms of an illness, such as a fever, within several days after your blood donation.
• Are diagnosed with COVID-19 within 48 hours after donating blood.