US and Malaysian Soldiers conduct joint walking blood bank training

During Exercise Keris Strike 26, soldiers from the Illinois Army National Guard's 709th Medical Company Support Area led a walking blood bank training event near Kota Belud in Sabah, Malaysia, on July 17, 2026.

The session shared critical medical knowledge with Malaysian Army soldiers from Bravo Company, 1st Medical Battalion, and U.S. Army soldiers from the Guam Army National Guard. This bilateral training builds stronger interoperability between U.S. and Malaysian forces, ultimately reinforcing peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Designed for austere environments where stored blood products are unavailable, a walking blood bank utilizes a roster of pre-screened personnel ready to donate fresh whole blood on-demand during emergency field operations.

"The walking blood bank is new to the National Guard and the Army itself," said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Anita Neuhaus of the 709th Medical Company Support Area. "This was our opportunity to show lessons learned."

These events also give U.S. soldiers and Malaysian forces an opportunity to work with equipment and materiel they might not regularly access outside of a realistic training environment.

"We have the walking blood bank in our doctrine, but we don't have that in a real setting," said Malaysian Army Maj. Alfam, a doctor with Bravo Company, 1st Medical Battalion. "... after the exercise we can propose to our higher-ups what we should improve in our setting."

Keris Strike 26 offers U.S. Army and Malaysian soldiers the opportunity to reinforce their tactical skills and support readiness, and ultimately show the U.S. Army's commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.