Page 8 - Edwards AFB Desert Wings 2-12-16

8 Desert Wings Community News February 12, 2016
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Team Edwards aims to save lives at ‘Battle of Badges’

by Rebecca Amber Air Force photographs by Rebecca Amber of the line. Mills organizes blood drives
Staff writer “Here in SoCal we’re at an all- throughout most of the Antelope
Airman 1st Class Joshua Foster, 412th Force Support Squadron, went to Valley, Edwards AFB and as far
Team Edwards found another the Chapel 1 Annex Feb. 3 to donate blood in the largest blood drive of time low,” said Mills. “Blood is not as Boron, Calif. She estimates that
way to save lives Feb. 3 at the 10th the year — the Battle of the Badges. manufactured, we cannot go to a lab those blood drives bring in around
Annual Battle of the Badges blood and say, ‘Hey, will you make blood 7,000 to 9,000 units of blood annu-
drive. for us just like any type of medica- ally. A large portion of that blood
tion or pills?’ We can only get it supply comes from regular donors
Battle of the Badges is an annual from people donating it.” who donate faithfully every two
Red Cross donation competition months, which is the required wait
for all law enforcement and mili- After the blood is collected it is time for repeat donors.
tary agencies across Southern Cali- separated into three parts, red cells,
fornia to see who can bring in the platelets and plasma. Each compo- According to Mills, the blood
most blood. nent of the blood may be needed only has a shelf-life of about 42
by a different patient, allowing the days, but the blood they collect is
For Edwards, the competition donor to save up to three lives with never wasted because it never stays
is the biggest of the year and has each unit of blood. on the shelf that long.
consistently brought in substantial
GRQDWLRQV7KHEDVH¿UVWVWDUWHGSDU- The whole process takes an aver- Donors can give every 56 days.
ticipating in Battle of the Badges in age of about 45 minutes. The actual To help facilitate donations, Ed-
2012. GRQDWLRQRQO\WDNHVDERXW¿YHWR wards AFB holds a blood drive ev-
minutes, the rest of the time is used HU\¿UVW:HGQHVGD\RIWKHPRQWKDW
“So far Edwards is still number WRFRQGXFWDPLQLSK\VLFDODQG¿OO the Chapel 1 Annex.
one and we hope to keep it that out registration forms.
way,” said Nadia Mills, Antelope
Valley Red Cross account manager. collected during the January blood “I love it, love the environment. Airman 1st Class Cameron Fuller, 412th Aerospace Medicine Squadron,
drive. Battle of the Badges runs The nurses here are great, the volun- could save up to three lives with his donation at the Battle of the Badges
Awards are given in several cat- during January and February, but at teers that come in from the squad- blood drive Feb. 3 at the Chapel 1 Annex.
egories including “Most Presented” Edwards the February drive is pro- rons and all the donors that come in
and “Highest Collector.” The award moted for the competition. — it makes it a really good experi-
for Highest Collector goes to the ence,” he said.
team that collects the most pints of Senior Airman Joe Hernandez
blood, which the Red Cross refers has been volunteering for the blood According to Hernandez, once
to as “units” of blood. The Most drive for the last three years in ad- blood is donated, it’s used within
Presented goes to the organization dition to donating. two weeks. It’s also tracked so that
that brings in the highest number donors can receive an email that
of people to register to donate that “I actually had an experience says when the blood was used and
day. Since not every person who about four-and-a-half years ago at what hospital. And, each donation
registers is able to donate, the award where a very close family member can save up to three lives.
recognizes their efforts to get people of mine needed a blood transfusion
in the door. and it took a long time for the blood This year, Hernandez is especial-
to actually get to them,” said Her- ly excited about the new Red Cross
Last year Edwards won most nandez. app that allows members to sched-
units collected for a military instal- ule appointments so that when they
lation and the highest presentation That’s when he decided to start arrive they go straight to the front
of donors for a military installation, donating.
according to Mills. Some units were

Register now for second ‘Run With History’ Half Marathon, 10K, 5K

Edwards AFB will host its second “Run with History” Half Mara- The run will take place on the world-famous Rogers Dry Lakebed

thon, 10K, and 5K run May 14 at 7 a.m. and around the world’s largest compass rose. There will also be
7KLVQRQSUR¿WHYHQWZLOOEHRSHQWRWKHSXEOLFZLWKSURFHHGV various aircraft, static displays, historical markers along the route
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from ticket entries going toward the costs of holding the event.
Don’t miss this historic event ... register by April 25!

Additional information and registration details are available on-

line at: http://edwardsfss.com and https://runsignup.com/Race/CA/

Edwards/EdwardsAFBRunwithHistory.

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Air Force photograph by Jet Fabara