The Blood Matters Blog ·

How OBI Saves Lives Through Military Partnerships

Our Blood Institute proudly partners with the United States military in a variety of ways.

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OBI partnerships with military

As a blood donor, you’re saving lives in your community — that makes you a hero in our book! We LOVE a hero around here, which is why Our Blood Institute has long engaged in military and governmental partnerships, from blood drives at local military bases to supplying emergency aid during some of the darkest days in American history.

Here are some of the many ways we've proudly worked to protect our communities and the brave people who serve them.

Military Base Blood Drives

Our military bases within the OBI network regularly organize blood donation drives and encourage service members, their families, and civilian employees to donate blood. OBI’s partnership with our military has resulted in 1,537 blood drives, 52,022 procedures and close to 40,000 new donors! The lives saved are remarkable, with over 156,000 lives saved in the last five years alone.

Our Blood Institute’s Patriotic Connections

Beyond partnering with our military bases for blood collection, OBI serves as a vital link to resources within our military networks. OBI supplies blood products to VA hospitals, Department of VA Medical Centers, Air Force bases and military laboratories, ensuring that our veterans and active military personnel always have the blood products they need.

War & Medical Innovations from WWI to Today

The advent of modern blood transfusions, the development of blood banks and long-term storage techniques, plasma administration: the critical impetus of war brought about all of these advancements.

See the Timeline

    OBI's Connection to the OKC Bombing and 9/11

    The Oklahoma City Bombing and the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 taught us that terrorism can strike anywhere. Fortunately, they taught us that we're stronger together as well.

    At 9:03 a.m. on April 19, 1995, 168 people lost their lives in what is now known to be the deadliest act of homegrown terrorism in American history. OBI's donor center in downtown Oklahoma City was less than a mile from the Alfred P. Murrah Building; it shook violently as a result of the blast.

    As former OBI CEO Dr. Ronald Gilcher later wrote, "Within an hour of the bombing, people began lining up to donate blood — all in all, 7,000 donors turned out in 72 hours. I had estimated that we could draw a maximum of 1,500 or 1,600 units of blood a day. In that first day after the bombing, OBI staff drew about 2,800 units."

    When terrorism returned on 9/11, OBI, in partnership with Tinker Air Force Base, flew blood products to victims of the attacks in New York City. Aside from Air Force One, that plane was the only one to carry that lifesaving blood. Blood we couldn't have supplied without the generosity of our donors.

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    OBI's Charitable Mission

    Global Blood Fund, an internationally focused charity founded by OBI in 2008, collaborated with the U.S. military and blood authorities in Laos to establish a new regional blood bank in a rural, underserved area of the Southeast Asian country. As part of their collaboration, GBF and the military provided resources, infrastructure and training to local staff to ensure the facility's self-sustainability.

    OBI's Involvement in Future Military & Defense Projects

    OBI Research & Development department is always excited to work with companies developing blood products and therapies that could directly benefit military operations. Our work with this has included working with a company developing a bone marrow substitute that could be used for treatment of soldiers after a mass radiation exposure event. We're also currently evaluating work with a company that will make freeze-dried blood plasma for use during mass casualties.

    Time to Be a Hero

    Every two seconds, someone in the United States is reliant on lifesaving blood to be available at their most critical hour.

    Let's make sure it is. Because what's more heroic than that?

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