Navy Sergeant with Rare Blood Type "Shares Again Today"

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] There is a Navy non-commissioned officer who has been volunteering for blood donation for over 20 years. The protagonist is Sergeant Jang Sang-su (38, NCO Class 206) of the 1st Fleet Command.

According to the Navy on the 13th, Sergeant Jang first donated blood in 2002 when he was a high school senior after accidentally boarding a blood donation bus, and it was then that he discovered he has the rare Rh-negative blood type. Only 0.1% of the Korean population has Rh-negative blood.

In 2014, while serving at the Busan Naval Operations Command, he received an urgent call about a leukemia patient in Gwangju with Rh-A blood type in critical condition and donated blood urgently. At that moment, he realized that his blood donation was directly connected to saving someone's life. Sergeant Jang has made volunteering a part of his life under the influence of his father, who received the Prime Minister's Commendation in 2017 for volunteer work for elderly people in rural areas. Sergeant Jang continues to provide haircutting volunteer services for the elderly alongside his father and even obtained a barber license in 2022 to support this activity.

On Blood Donation Day, Sergeant Jang made his 118th lifetime blood donation at the Gangneung Blood Center, stating, "The only solution to blood shortages is participation in blood donation," and added, "I hope my blood donation volunteer work becomes a small seed that contributes to the precious act of sharing life." He continued, "Protecting the lives and property of the people is the mission of a soldier, and I take pride in being part of that mission," and said, "As a Navy member, I will not only fulfill my maritime defense duties but also manage my health thoroughly to continue donating blood steadily in the future."