Depot employee recognized with 10-gallon award
By Frank Taormina, NAVAIR Depot, Jacksonville Public Affairs Specialist

The Florida Georgia Blood Alliance (FGBA), a leading blood supplier in the Northeast Florida/Southeast Georgia region, recently recognized Rick Reckert, aerospace engineer supervisor at NAVAIR Depot, Jacksonville, for surpassing the 10-gallon mark in blood donations. In a ceremony on August 30, Depot Commanding Officer Capt. David Beck presented Reckert with a Certificate of Appreciation from the FGBA. Bill Schroeder, donor resource consultant for the FGBA, presented Reckert with a Letter of Appreciation, a 10-gallon donor license plate, and a Seiko watch with the FGBA logo on the face.

The depot, in conjunction with the FGBA, holds four blood drives a year aboard NAS Jacksonville and Reckert attends all of them. Reckert stated that donating blood is not a difficult task and is a small price to pay to help those in need. He said he began donating blood “years ago” and just kept donating with no goal in mind except to help others. When you consider that people can donate one pint of blood only six times a year, getting to 10 gallons is quite impressive. Reckert has been a model of consistency with his blood donations and sets an excellent example for others to follow.

Capt. Beck stated that helping keep blood supplies up is imperative and he is proud of the fact that NAVAIR Depot, Jacksonville is a leader in supporting the FGBA and the people of the Northeast Florida region. The depot has won the FGBA award for “Most Donations in the Military Category” in each of the last four years, and that is due to the efforts of people like Reckert who are consistent donors.

Schroeder, who has been with the FGBA for about two years, said that getting people to donate blood is understandably a difficult task. Most folks are not very fond of having a needle stuck in their arm and the FGBA could not do what they do without people like Reckert and others who consistently donate at the depot blood drives.

Reckert, who has been with the government for about 28 years, said that now that he has reached 10 gallons in blood donations, he looks forward to when he reaches the 20 gallon mark.

(Photo byline)Bill Schroeder (L), donor resource consultant for the FGBA presents Rick Reckert (C) his 10-Gallon Award as Capt. David Beck (R), Depot Commanding Officer looks on.

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