JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. – Reserve Citizen Airmen from the 446th Airlift ‘Rainier’ Wing started the first drill weekend of 2019 by holding a Department of Defense Marrow Donor Salute-to-life drive.
During the 446th Airlift Wing January UTA Jan. 5-6, reservists from the 446th Security Forces Squadron and the 446th Aeromedical Squadron manned a registration booth for Department of Defense civilians and military members to potentially become bone marrow and stem cell donors.
Previous bone marrow drives from the Rainier Wing resulted in life-saving bone marrow matches.
Salute-to-life is a DoD marrow program initiated in 1991 to meet the needs of the 20,000 people that need a transplant. 70 percent of these patients must find an unrelated donor. The program has recruited over 1,000,000 potential donors, saving more than 240 lives annually.
Prospective donors must be between the ages of 18-60, in good general health and be in the military, DoD Civilian employees or DoD dependents with active ID cards.
Additional Information can be found on the Salute to life website: salutetolifie.org and video below.
For more information on the 446th Airlift Wing, go to www.446aw.afrc.af.mil/ or become a fan on Facebook www.facebook.com/446thAW.