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PUERTO PRINCESSA, Philippines – In battle, Marines know that if a serious wound doesn’t kill you, bleeding out could. As rounds crack overhead and the chaos of conflict ensues, the battle to get life-saving blood transfusions at the front lines is a difficult task. This challenge is magnified by the austere environments Marines operate from, such as remote expeditionary advanced bases in the Indo-Pacific, as well as the “tyranny of distance” from the point of injury to more advanced medical facilities.
With the “walking blood bank” concept, officially known as the Valkyrie Emergency Whole Blood Transfusion Training Program, the Navy corpsmen and medical officers who support forward-deployed Marine Corps units like Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia, I Marine Expeditionary Force, can find a pre-screened donor nearby to start the flow of life-saving blood in a fraction of the time.
Sharing this concept for the first time in Palawan was the goal of training Oct. 16 at Camp Rodolfo, a Philippine Marine Corps base on the island. U.S. Sailors assigned to MRF-SEA trained Armed Forces of the Philippines service members on the Valkyrie program and field transfusion procedures. The event was a medical subject-matter expert exchange during Marine Air Support Activity 2025
In Tagalog, “balikatan” means shoulder-to-shoulder and is also the name of a large annual exercise in the Philippines. Through Valkyrie, however, the phrase takes on a near-literal meaning as a life-saving donor provides blood to a wounded comrade. Part of Marine Air Support Activity 2025, six U.S. Navy medical personnel with MRF-SEA conducted a medical subject-matter expert exchange with more than 30 Armed Forces of the Philippines medical and infantry personnel. The event combined classroom instruction with hands-on practical exercises designed to enhance battlefield medical readiness and interoperability.
The Valkyrie program, implemented in 2017 by then-Lt. Cmdr Russell Wier of the U.S. Navy, is modeled on the U.S. Army Special Operation’s Ranger O Low Titer Whole Blood Program. Deploying units identify personnel with type O blood who have low antibody levels, or low titer counts. They are considered universal donors, allowing their blood to be transfused quickly to sustain wounded troops in the field.
During the subject matter exchange, AFP participants learned and implemented the entire scope of tactical combat casualty care—from conducting initial triage at the point of injury to using blood testing kits to identify donor compatibility. The day concluded with a live blood transfusion demonstration, where AFP personnel observed U.S. Navy corpsmen perform a transfusion, demonstrating lifesaving procedure in real time.
“The U.S. Navy medical staff is very professional to train alongside with; they are excellent when it comes to teaching us,” said Philippine Marine Corps Tech. Sgt. Vitoroldan Roldan, hospital corpsman with the 3rd Marine Brigade. “The training was very realistic during the scenarios they gave us—especially the mass casualty drills and the blood transfusion demonstration from start to finish.”
This collaborative training strengthened medical proficiency and reinforced the shared commitment between U.S. and Philippine forces to improve joint response capabilities in crisis and combat situations.
“The Valkyrie program aims to teach the necessary knowledge and skills to be able to draw blood from ‘donors’ who are pre-identified Marines or Sailors, and to transfuse that blood to a critically injured casualty, said U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Sanders Oh, a surgeon assigned to MRF-SEA, I Marine Expeditionary Force, and a Valkyrie instructor. “Studies have shown that early resuscitation or treatment with blood products improves survival. This training is critical to that end.”
While the training focused on improving shared battlefield medical skills, from managing casualties at the point of injury to conducting lifesaving whole-blood transfusions in austere conditions, the collaboration enhanced interoperability and marked a crucial step forward in how the U.S. and AFP refine and align medical practices to support joint operations.
“Battlefield injuries and lifesaving medical procedures don’t discriminate between national borders,” said Oh. “Sharing medical knowledge and training together improves our collective readiness. It improves understanding of each other’s systems, equipment and standards of care.”
Oh explained that the more U.S. and AFP personnel who are trained and proficient to call upon their “walking blood banks” and effectively conduct field blood transfusions can greatly enhance the survivability, resiliency, and self-sufficiency of forces in combat.
“Having our personnel and partner forces trained and capable is a must,” said Oh. “Interoperability is critical, especially as we prepare for conflicts where our partner forces will undoubtedly provide logistical support in a theater of conflict far from home.”
“This medical training was extremely valuable to the unit and taught us the significance of tactical field care medicine on how the U.S. administers blood transfusion in near-death experience,” said Philippine Marine Corps Lt. Col. Roberto Carin, the commanding officer of 3rd Marine Brigade. “I learned a lot and I know that when the next fight comes, this training will be the difference if my partner and I come home.”
Transporting, handling and storing blood products, such as whole blood for transfusions, requires significant logistical considerations, especially in austere forward-deployed environments that may be geographically isolated from rapid evacuation or surgical care.
“Having the ability to collect and transfuse blood safely gives our hospital corpsmen an important tool in saving the lives of their Sailors and Marines,” said Oh.
As the Valkyrie program continues to evolve and its adoption expands, it can provide clear advantages in tactical field medical care, with U.S. and AFP personnel more resilient and capable to render aid. Service members who are fully trained on Valkyrie program are better equipped to save lives and are force multipliers in a contested environment when it can be a life-or-death situation.
In the contested environment or a future conflict, the difference between a casualty and a fatality will likely come down to the ability to immediately get fresh whole blood to a patient. Valkyrie ensures that capability is sustained across U.S. and partner forces to save lives as forces stand shoulder-to-shoulder to deter adversaries, ensure regional stability, and uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific.
MRF-SEA maintains a forward presence to enhance the Marine Corps’ crisis and contingency response capabilities throughout the region. Uniquely organized to strengthen security cooperation and advance mutual defense objectives with Southeast Asian allies and partners, MRF-SEA’s participation in MASA 2025—a bilateral exercise focused on mutual defense and emerging aviation concepts—underscores that mission. Together, these efforts reaffirm the enduring partnership between the U.S. and Philippine forces, ensuring readiness, interoperability, and shared commitment to regional stability.
Bureau of Medicine and Surgery 7700 Arlington Blvd. Ste. 5113 Falls Church, VA 22042-5113 This is an official U.S. Navy website This is a Department of Defense (DoD) Internet computer system. General Navy Medical Inquiries (to Bureau of Medicine and Surgery): usn.ncr.bumedfchva.list.bumed---pao@health.mil