PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AIR RESERVE STATION, Pa. -- As anyone who has been deployed knows, the days leading up to a deployment can be incredibly hectic. They are packed with paperwork, checklists and a million different offices you need to visit before taking off for your deployed location, not to mention the stress of saying goodbye to family and friends. For many members of the 911th Security Forces Squadron, these busy days before taking off weren’t enough to stop them from giving back to their community.
On July 19, 2017, approximately 32 members of the 911th SFS volunteered to give blood at the Central Blood Bank prior to deploying overseas.
Master Sgt. Robert Ferry, squad leader with the 911th SFS, coordinated this opportunity for his troops. Both an emergency medical services personnel and police officer in his civilian career, Ferry knows just how vital giving blood can be.
“It’s very important to give blood. We don’t think about it because it’s not a family member who has that injury,” said Ferry. “You don’t think about this - until it happens.”
Senior Master Sgt. Michael Vanhorn, S4 Superintendent with the 911th Security Forces Squadron, believes that donating blood goes hand-in-hand with the Air Force’s core values, specifically service before self.
“Every pint of blood you give can save up to three lives,” said Vanhorn. “The majority of us are healthy individuals so why not help out?”