2003 Clinical Laboratory Sciences Alumna presents U.S. flag flown over base in Kandahar, Afghanistan to Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences
Captain Karen J. Buikema, Clinical Laboratory Sciences 2003 Alumna, presents a flag flown over her base in Kandahar, Afghanistan to the Department of Clinical laboratory Sciences.
Captain Buikema is the Chief of Blood Services, Wright Patterson Medical Center, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio. In this capacity she is responsible for the Air Force’s second largest Blood Donor Center and the Medical Center’s Transfusion Service. She leads a team of 45 personnel in the collection of 6,300 blood products a year which are shipped in direct support of Overseas Contingency Operations. In addition she overseas 800 annual blood product transfusions and manages a two million dollar budget. In 2010 Capt Buikema deployed to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.
She received her commission into the U.S. Air Force through the Marquette University Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps on 17 May 2003.
Capt Buikema is a member of the American Society of Clinical Pathology, the American Association of Blood Banks, and the Society of Armed Forces Medical Laboratory Scientists. She is nationally certified through the American Society of Clinical Pathology as a Medical Technologist and as a Specialist in Blood Banking.
Capt Buikema was born in Chicago, Illinois. She is married to Hunter R. Buikema and they have twin boys, Elisha and Noah.