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Terry Bell from
Central Illinois Community Blood Center explained, "Anybody, and I
say anybody, can donate blood at a drive and say that they are
giving in the name of any of the participating agencies." They can
come in and say, "I’m giving in the name of the police department or
I’m giving in the name of the fire department." If you would like to
help them out, you can watch the Pantagraph for updates and a
schedule of July and August drives.
The "Badges for Life"
competition officially kicked off the contest with a blood drive on
Monday, July 1. CICBC will keep track of the donations made in the
name of the six agencies now through Aug. 31. According to Cherie
Sexton-Young, CICBC director of donor resources, the purpose in
conducting the contest at this time is to heighten awareness about
the need for blood donations and to avert local blood shortages in
the wake of new FDA deferral criteria as well as preparing for the
traditional summer drop in donations.
Sexton-Young was
pleased to comment, "We have never had a shortage in central
Illinois in 31 years." She added, "Fifty percent of the blood
centers across America are on media appeal at this time." We are
fortunate not to have shortages here, she said. It is hoped that by
the preparations and awareness now we will avert any unexpected urgency.
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article]
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The "Badges for Life"
winner will be determined by the total number of donations made in
the name of each department. Since agencies vary in size, the
playing field will be leveled by taking participation percentages
from each department. A trophy will be awarded to the winning
agency. However, the greater motivation in this friendly competition
between these closely related agencies is that the five losing
department directors will wash the vehicle of the winning department
director. The ribbing has already begun as each agency is thinking
about what vehicle they want someone else to wash. Talk evolved with
chuckles about bringing an E-1 tower truck or fire department pumper
truck for washing.
Central Illinois Community Blood Center
supplies all of the blood and blood products for 12 area hospitals,
including Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, Hopedale Hospital,
Memorial Medical Center and St. John’s Hospital. They emphasize that
all of the blood collected here stays here.
[Jan
Youngquist] |
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Now he’s helping
fight the war on terror.
"I always wanted to
travel," Bryant said. "So, I got my associate’s degree from Lincoln
College in 1998, I got married, joined the Air Force and left for
training two months later.
"My wife and I even
moved our wedding date up so we could get married before I left for
basic training!
"But I had no idea at
the time just how important my job would be."
He is the son of Mr.
and Mrs. Don Bryant of Lincoln.
It was a very big
year for Bryant in 1999, and the pace has never slowed. Since his
graduation from basic training — an event he considers one of his
proudest achievements — Airman Bryant has had the opportunity to
work in the long and winding halls of power at the Pentagon, a bit
off the beaten path from Lincoln.
"My wife and I had a
lot of fun in D.C.," Bryant said. "We got out of Illinois and got to
see another part of the United States."
After assignment at
the Pentagon, it was back to Illinois for a tour at U.S.
Transportation Command — the military’s transportation center.
Bryant is an intelligence systems administrator, responsible for
ensuring computer servers are up and running, allowing the command’s
1,000-plus military men and women and civilians to communicate
electronically at a moment’s notice. Information technology is of
paramount importance in coordinating worldwide transportation and
delivery of personnel and supplies for the military.
Almost all of the
personnel and equipment delivered to fight Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan,
a land-locked country, was flown into that mountainous country by
Transcom C-17s and C-130s. The effort required a great deal of
traffic on computer systems handled by Bryant and others in his
department.
"We sustain several
main servers as well as hundreds of client workstations," he says.
"I was never really into computers before, but that has changed. The
Air Force gives you incredible training, and I was really enjoying
my job."
Sept. 11 was
something Bryant says he will never forget.
He was at work in the
communication center at the transportation command when the
terrorists hit the World Trade Center towers. The event changed his
job and his view of its importance.
"I saw how vital my
position is to the command. My work became more important, knowing
that keeping lines of communication open for our command — and all
the people who depend on us — rested partly upon my work," he said.
[to top of second column in
this article]
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Things have slowed
down a bit since then as Bryant makes sure that the command’s
information technology system gives us an edge in the war against
terrorism.
After working
often-long hours, Bryant spends most of his free time with his
children, Isaiah, 2, and Brianna, 4 months.
"I’m always doing
something with them, whether it is crawling around on the floor or
completing a college education to provide them with a good example."
Bryant received his
bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership from Greenville
College this spring and planned to apply for Officer Training
School. The Air Force will pay most of the bill for his college
education.
Bryant says he would
like to make the Air Force a lifetime career.
"I enjoy the
challenge, and it is interesting meeting new people," he said. "I’ve
learned from working within a joint command that each branch of
service helps one another and how essential they are to one
another’s success."
Bryant has been
making a name for himself around the transportation command. The
command is responsible for most air, land, and sea transportation
needs worldwide for the Department of Defense. Recently, Bryant was
selected as U.S. Transportation Command’s Junior Servicemember of
the Quarter, an honor given only to the command’s most deserving
servicemen and women.
His selection was
based in part on his active community work, supporting the local
Airman’s Attic, a charity providing various household items to
military families — senior airman rank and below. Bryant also
donates his time to various cancer walks in the St. Louis area.
"My parents are both
survivors of cancer. I feel it is my responsibility to walk in honor
of them," Bryant says.
"I enjoy volunteer work because I know that
my community was there for me during rough times. So, I am there to
provide that same support."
And still on the
airman’s mind is his continued desire to travel.
"I want to travel,"
he said "Italy is my first choice, but I am ready to go anywhere."
He will get his wish
when his tour at Transcom ends in 2003. He will be deployed, and it
will be far from Illinois.
In the military, that’s something Bryant
knows he can count on.
[Kelly Thompson,
U.S. Transportation Command,
public affairs] |
