A free feed was part of the appeal when the now Director-General of Garrison Health Services, Commodore Katherine Tindall, donated blood as a university student.
"I was a medical student at Newcastle University and got a milkshake and meat pie, which was great," Commodore Tindall laughs.
"Nowadays, I prefer an apple juice, but I do like the Freddo Frogs, too. As a med student, I was part of a community that understood the importance of blood in general and why blood donation is so critical.
"Defence is a similar community. We know the importance of blood on the battlefield, but our donation is broader than that. There is a generosity about Defence. It's about Defence having the community's back, our commitment to service."
As the 2025 Defence Blood Drive Ambassador, Commodore Tindall, who is also Director-General of Navy Health, hopes to promote donations and educate the Defence community about why donations matter.
"Blood is 100 per cent lifesaving," she said.
"It makes the difference to a person's survivability, on the battlefield or in hospital."
A regular blood donor when she was younger, Commodore Tindall switched to donating plasma about 10 years ago.
"Lifeblood recommended that because of my rare blood type," she said.
"I thought a rare blood type would be in demand, but the fact it is rare also means it is rare that someone with that blood type will get injured."
'Blood is 100 per cent lifesaving.'
There are numerous reasons why people do not donate blood or plasma, and Commodore Tindall hopes to challenge any misconceptions that exist.
"Some people fear it will hurt," she said.
"Blood is one of those known phobias. I think there is also a misconception that it is not easy to donate, which is where the mobile donor units help as they visit bases across the country.
"Some people who don't have lived experience of the benefits of blood donation may not be aware of its impact, as opposed to someone who's been through the illness of a family member or friend, which creates that connection and purpose.
"There is probably also an underestimation of what blood is used for. People might only see it being used in trauma situations, whereas cancer patients are in fact the largest users of Australia's blood supply.
"For me, it's almost an obligation to donate. I feel if you can do it, you should. The challenge for us as health workers is how to make the right thing really easy to do."
A mum of two boys aged 13 and 10, Commodore Tindall comes from a strong Navy family and joined the Navy as a medical student. Her sea time included a north-east Asia deployment, Gulf trip, US missile trials and Operation Resolute. She describes being deployed as a doctor as an incredible experience.
"It's the most privileged type of medicine because you get to live, work and play with your patients, which gives you a real understanding and empathy of what they are going through," she said.
