Team Edwards, Red Cross come together for Battle of the Badges

  • Published
  • By Rebecca Amber
  • Staff writer
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Senior Airman Tyler Thompson, 412th Medical Group medical lab technician, grinned from ear to ear as he made his donation at the Battle of the Badges. The annual Red Cross blood drive was held Feb. 4 in Chapel 1 and is the largest one of the year at Edwards.

"You look so happy," said Tony Briggs, Red Cross external communications manager, speaking to Thompson.

Thompson eagerly replied, "I'll be saving a life!"

In reality, Thompson may have saved up to three lives that day.

Battle of the Badges is an annual Red Cross donation competition for all law enforcement and military agencies.

"We have special blood drives for them so they can compete against each other in their own individual division. Military against military, sheriffs against sheriffs, to see who can collect the most blood," said Nadia Mills, Antelope Valley Red Cross account manager.

Mills has been coordinating blood drives at Edwards for three years now. The first Battle of the Badges at Edwards was held in 2012.

"Edwards, for the past three years since I've been here, has been the winner," said Mills.

Last year, Edwards was the Individual Agency Winner, which goes to the two agencies in the Southern California region that had the greatest number of donors participate among all Battle of the Badges blood drives.

Awards are given in several categories including "most presented" and "highest collector." The award for highest collector goes to the team that collects the most pints of blood, which the Red Cross refers to as "units" of blood. The most presented goes to the organization that brings in the highest number of people to register to donate that day. Since not every person who registers is able to donate, the award recognizes their efforts to get people in the door.

Last year, Edwards brought home awards for the greatest number of donors per capita and the greatest participation for the overall agency. This year, Edwards collected 90 units of blood in the competition. Some units were collected during the January blood drive. Battle of the Badges runs during January and February, but at Edwards the February drive is promoted for the competition.

Visitors to the Chapel 1 Annex can see the collection of Red Cross awards and recognition lining the wall of the entry way. Results from this year's overall competition will be announced at the Battle of the Badges luncheon in March or April.

After the blood is collected it is separated into three parts, red cells, platelets and plasma. Each component of the blood may be needed by a different patient, allowing the donor to save up to three lives with each unit of blood.

The whole process takes an average around 45 minutes. The actual donation only takes about five to 10 minutes, the rest of the time is used to conduct a mini-physical and fill out registration forms.

Mills organizes blood drives throughout most of the Antelope Valley, Edwards AFB and as far as Boron. She estimates that those blood drives bring in around 7,000 to 9,000 units of blood annually. A large portion of that blood supply comes from regular donors who donate faithfully every two months, which is the required wait time for repeat donors.

According to Mills, the blood only has a shelf-life of about 42 days, but the blood they collect is never wasted because it never stays on the shelf that long.

"I've been with the Red Cross for nine years and when I had my daughter it was like 'wow, what if it's her that needs that blood one day?' I want to make sure that blood is ready and available for her if she needed it," said Mills. 

Donors can give every 56 days. To help facilitate donations, Edwards AFB holds a blood drive every first Wednesday of the month at the Chapel 1 Annex.

For any questions about blood drives at Edwards or to make an appointment, email Senior Airman Joe Hernandez at joe.hernandez.8@us.af.mil.