Reynoldsburg 798 Post Initiates
American Legion Resolution for the ASBP

(AUG 09) At its regular monthly meeting in April 2009, American Legion Ohio Reynoldsburg Post 798 proposed and passed a special blood drive resolution to be sent to National Headquarters. The resolution called for the American Legion to officially recognize the Armed Services Blood Program (ASBP) as the Department of Defense blood collection agency, that the American Legion support the ASBP any way that it could, and that Legionnaires be encouraged to sponsor ASBP blood drives wherever possible and to donate blood to the military in such fashion whenever and wherever possible.

The ASBP is the Dept. of Defense's exclusive blood collection agency, the military counterpart to the American Red Cross. It is the only oragnization that collects and supplies blood and blood products for the men and women of our Armed Forces. Created in 1952 during the height of the Korean War by a presidential directive, it acts as a joint-services field operating agency to maintain a viable, secure blood supply network to American forces deployed all over the world, especially in combat areas such as Afghanistan and Iraq. Central Ohio regularly sponsors blood drives for the ASBP (the next is on July 11th; see below).

12th District Council Spring Conference

The post's resolution was submitted to Ohio 12th District Council (Central Ohio), and was voted on at their Spring Conference on May 31st, 2009. The voting was unanimous, and the resolution was adopted as worded and forwarded on to American Legion Department of Ohio for approval.

Department of Ohio Convention

The Ohio Department convention was held at the Dayton Ohio Convention Center that summer, from July 25th to July 28th. There the resolution was brought before the depart-ment's National Security Committee. That group discussed the resolution and made a couple minor adjustments to the wording before passing it and submitting it to the Convention main floor.

At the Convention general meeting in Dayton, Ohio on Saturday June 27th, the resolution (Resolution #3) was brought before the main floor. There, all the represented posts from Ohio voted on the resolution and passed it unanimously.

American Legion National Convention

The resolution finally went before the American Legion general convention held in Louisville, Kentucky in late August. After again being analyzed and discussed in committee, it was introduced on the convention floor on August 27th and was unanimously passed as worded.

This resolution has now been officially adopted as national policy by the American Legion and has been included in an annual report sent to Congress.

Here is the revised resolution National Security Resolution #41:
(Link at http://www.legion.org/resolutions/2009n041.pdf

Armed Services Blood Program Resolution
The American Legion Department of Ohio
Submitted by Reynoldsburg Post 798
Passed by Ohio 12th District and Department of Ohio 2009

The Second Resolution

On August 31, 2010, The 92nd National Convention of The American Legion passed a second resolution (2010-42), supporting the ASBP. Initiated by the American Legion of Pickerington Ohio  (David Johnston Memorial Post  #283),  and passed by the American Legion Department of Ohio, it was quite similar in nature to the the one above, passed the year before, except that this one exhorted the Department of Defense to change its policy yet again:

Resolved, By The American Legion in National Convention assembled in
                  Milwaukee, Wisconsin, August 31, September 1, 2, 2010, That
                  The American Legion solicit support from the Department of
                   Defense (DOD) to allow local Posts to host blood drives; and,
                   be it finally

Resolved, That The American Legion encourage all Posts and
                  Departments to organize and sponsor on site ASBP blood 
                  drives when and where possible with the approval of local
                  military commanders.