“If your blood is red, then you should probably be donating blood.”

At least that’s what Tracy Parmer, Armed Services Blood Program blood donor recruiter and public affairs specialist, believes.

Parmer, whose primary responsibility is scheduling blood drives at Joint Base San Antonio installations, currently has a monthly goal of collecting 1,300-1,400 units of blood. Blood donations are then sent to various military treatment facilities, such as the San Antonio Army Medical Center, various Veterans Affairs hospitals, as well as to treat wounded service members in Afghanistan. 

Parmer said the program has collected about 1,200 units for the past three months.

“It’s hard to meet demands,” Parmer said. “But the more we collect, the more people and military facilities we can help.”

One difficulty Parmer faces is the group of individuals she is able to collect blood from. The Armed Services Blood Program is limited to collecting only from active duty service members, retirees, dependents, ROTC students or anyone who has base access, Parmer said.

Other limitations include not being able to collect blood for a year from individuals who have traveled to Afghanistan or malaria risk areas. Parmer also said because it is the holiday season, people get too busy to donate.

“It’s harder and harder because the pool of people shrinks,” Parmer said.

Having the Lackland Blood Donor Center mobile bus, which the program received in 2011, has been a big help, Parmer said.

“It’s amazing because we don’t affect anybody’s work space and units can schedule their own drives,” Parmer said.

Units typically schedule a 2-hour drive, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The only requirement is to have at least 12 people at a minimum ready to donate.

Tech. Sgt. Nathan Combs, 902nd Security Forces Squadron NCO in charge of resource protection, has been donating blood off and on for the last six years and also tries to plan a blood drive every 60 to 90 days.

Combs, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2005, received news from his doctors in 2015 that he was officially cancer-free and said donating blood is his way of giving back to those who are in need.

“Knowing that I’m benefiting somebody and potentially saving a life - I don’t need to see it - but just understanding that by donating blood I could potentially be saving somebody’s life is enough for me,” Combs said.

Through planning blood drives, Combs has encountered many individuals with a fear of needles who are afraid of donating, but he said the brief feeling of being uncomfortable is well worth the outcome.

“If a small needle prick and five minutes of sitting there donating blood, followed by a soda and some cookies, isn’t worth saving lives, then what are our true values in life, really?” Combs asked.

Parmer said she doesn’t want people who are a common blood type, like A-positive, to think they aren’t needed.

“No matter what blood type you are, we need it,” Parmer said.

“Giving blood is the most selfless thing someone can do,” Parmer added. “No one in Afghanistan is thinking they’re going to get in a fire fight and need blood today. Whoever gets that blood gets to come home to their family, so being a part of that circle is amazing.”

The next blood drive is scheduled for Nov. 15 at the Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Clinic from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

To schedule a blood drive or for questions, contact 210-292-8145.