Maj. Gen. Edward D. Phelka, CAP’s national commander and CEO, gave blood on January 16 at a donor site near his Michigan home as part of Operation Pulse Lift campaign to collect blood for the American Red Cross. [Courtesy: Civil Air Patrol]
Key Takeaways:
Civil Air Patrol's "Operation Pulse Lift" mission reached a major milestone by collecting its 10,000th blood unit, with the milestone donation made by Barb Clevenger in Arizona.
The mission significantly expanded its efforts since March 2020 due to the critical need for blood donations during the pandemic, becoming the longest series of blood donation center operations by a single organization.
Since April 2020, CAP has sponsored 146 emergency blood donation centers across several states, providing critical blood products for various emergencies, including natural disasters and military needs.
The Civil Air Patrol has served as part of the nation's emergency infrastructure since World War II, organizing blood drives, transporting blood by land and air, and is recognized as an "incredible partner" by the American Red Cross.
Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
