06/03/2026
Fort Leonard Wood service members and government civilian employees can save lives and earn promotion points and leadership recognition, all while sitting in a comfortable chair for 30 minutes every other month.
These awards come to people who donate blood to the Armed Services Blood Program, the blood supplier for the U.S. military. The Fort Leonard Wood Blood Donor Center’s donor incentive program thanks people giving three times with a Certificate of Achievement signed by the post commanding general and post command sergeant major. Those donating six times earn a two-star note from the commanding general which has a three-day pass attached. And for eight donations, service members earn an Army Commendation Medal while civilian employees receive the Commander’s Award for Civil Service. All total, Soldiers can earn 25 promotion points by giving blood and civilian employee awards can help build a robust performance portfolio during the annual review process or when applying for higher-graded positions. In addition to the listed awards, civilian employees can get up to four hours of administrative leave each time they donate – with supervisor approval.
To date, the donor center has awarded 184 COAs, 105 two-star notes and 81 ARCOMs, helping service members from all branches and ranks move up the promotion ladder. But the real impact is much larger, according to Maj. Suhail Nieves, blood donor center officer in charge.
“Each donated unit of blood helps save a life or gives someone a better chance to win their battle against illness and injury,” she said. “We wanted to thank everyone for giving such a personal part of themselves to someone they’ll never know, and our donor incentive program is the best way we can do that.”
The people who have earned awards through the donor center’s incentive program have collectively donated nearly 1,300 units of blood.
According to Col. Angela Diebel-Lee, General Leonard Wood Community Hospital commander, units of blood are separated into red blood cells and plasma. Because of that, incentive program awardee donations have yielded enough blood products to give one to every Soldier serving in 12 average-sized Army companies.
“The donor incentive program is essential for maintaining our collective operational readiness,” she said. “It represents life-saving resources provided ‘by the force, for the force’ and significantly increases the probability of survival for wounded service members. By requiring eight units of blood over a three-year period, we’re encouraging a sustained commitment to medical readiness rather than a one-time event, ensuring a consistent and reliable supply for the Armed Services Blood Program.”
Diebal-Lee, who has a COA and two-star note of her own, said participating in this program allows her to display the Army Value of Selfless Service while reinforcing personal discipline and medical readiness.
“To be a consistent donor, I must maintain my own health, hydration and fitness,” she said. “It provides a tangible way to live the Warrior Ethos by contributing directly to the survivability of the force—reminding me that my physical readiness is inextricably linked to the life of another service member.”
As a leader, she said the donor incentive program plays a two-fold role – it allows her to lead from the front and foster a Culture of Care within her command as well as recognize those who do the same.
“By donating blood myself, I show my formation that no one is too busy for this mission-essential task,” she said. “It also allows me to reward our quiet professionals—those who may not seek the spotlight but consistently contribute to the collective good and readiness of the force.”
Whether a Soldier or civil servant, Diebal-Lee asks everyone to consider the operational reality of the military mission.
“You may never know the name of the person you save, but in this profession, we are all part of the same team,” she said. “The 45 minutes you spend donating today provides the life-saving bridge to survival for a fellow warfighter tomorrow. It is the most literal way to ensure that no one is left behind.”
And for those leading Soldiers here, she said sponsoring a blood drive is not a distraction from training – it’s a demonstration of their unit’s commitment to the total force.
“Leaders who sponsor blood drives signal that their unit values the health and survivability of every service member across the formation,” she said. “Do not wait for a crisis to realize the value of our blood supply—when the need is immediate, it may be too late to give. Lead from the front, get your team involved, and help us ensure our medical readiness is never in doubt.”
The Fort Leonard Wood Blood Donor Center is located at 6261 Buckeye (Building 759A) and welcomes individual donors 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday – Wednesday. Unit blood drives are scheduled Sunday – Wednesday. For more information about the donor incentive program or to schedule a blood drive, call 573-596-6150.
Article by Carl Norman, Fort Leonard Wood Blood Donor Center Recruiter
Photo by Maj. Suhail Nieves, Fort Leonard Wood Blood Donor Center Officer-in-Charge.
