Motorcycle Mentors or unit Motorcycle POC's Come check in please

2015-03-18T15:54:52-04:00

Motorcycle Mentors or unit POC's
How is your program going?
If you will, tell us if you're a Mentor or Unit POC, Co, BN, BDE level? Are you a rider? Are you a MSF Rider coach or other training program instructor (Lee Parks or ??)
What is your unit support like at the CO, BN, BDE?
Does your unit program still require SM's to wear the High Viz vest even though DOD and the Army has removed the requirement?

If you are able to, lets see your unit policy.. be it CORPS, DIV, BDE, BN or separate unit.

I am a former Motorcycle Mentor at the Division and BN level.
I currently teach MSF basic and advanced rider education to include license waiver courses for Texas. I also teach on Fort hood for Cape Fox.
If you're a Army Member in Texas and would like to know what the current policies are, I can speak to some of them in the third party and put you in touch with the folks that are the proponent at hood if needed.

If you can speak on behalf of your post / unit (CORPS, DIV, BDE, or BN level).. please put that up at the top of you post so RP members in your area can contact you and get the REAL deal, and not so much of the BS I hear my mil students attending my civilian course tell me (Sir I had to take this course and not the free one on post, my commander said the on post one was not good for a license) ..arrrrrggggg NO......
I detest commanders (or NCO's)
that intentionally make false statements or otherwise add complexity or obstructions just in the hope the SM will choose its not worth the effort..

They WILL RIDE ANYWAY .. so lets get them trained and aware of the risks, knowledge and experience to make informed , adult, educated decisions.

Response by MSG Brad Sand made Mar 18 at 2015 4:01 PM

2015-03-18T16:01:24-04:00

Are you a member of your local chapter of the Green Knights MMC?

http://greenknightsmmc.org/

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 18 at 2015 6:22 PM

2015-03-18T18:22:20-04:00

I'm currently inactive in the Motorcycle arena - Retired last year, and my MSF certification is expired. I do ride - though, in the last year, I've been much more focused on retirement, job hunt, etc., plus my bike needs new tires, so she's garaged for now (new tires will be on the way by mid-April at the latest and I'll be riding again then).

PREVIOUSLY, I was a Battalion Safety Officer, and the Motorcycle Mentor/Safety Manager. I taught BRC I, BRC II (ERC), and I was trained by Puget Sound Safety in Advanced Street Skills and as a mentor. I also established what I believe was one of the best Battalion Level Motorcycle Safety programs for my Group in USASOC. I reduced major injury motorcycle accidents 4-fold - me myself having the most significant injury during my tenure after wiping out at 55MPH (not entirely my fault either) in a sharp left hand turn due to a cage driver. While it was embarrassing that I as the Motorcycle Safety had a motorcycle accident, I was also real-life living proof that the right gear COULD save your life. I still have the helmet (it's carbon fiber and I don't use it because it did take a beating - but it protected my egg) and the vest (which took the majority of the road friction keeping it off me - and which I still wear).

Message me if you have any questions.

Response by TSgt Joshua Copeland made Mar 18 at 2015 6:46 PM

2015-03-18T18:46:13-04:00

How is your program going? We have a rather robust program that is a group effort between the Safety Office, the MSR's and the local Green Knights Chapter. We have to large briefings/rides at the start and end of the ride season. Brief is done by Wing Safety, Group Riding basics by the Green Knights. Following the ride there is a bbq and skills games with prizes. Monthly there is a "Wing" ride hosted by the Green Knights during duty hours on the designated "no-fly" day that is an approved alternate duty location for Mil and Civ.

Training wise, we have a contract with a downtown MSF instructor to do initial and refresher training.

If you will, tell us if you're a Mentor or Unit POC, Co, BN, BDE level? Are you a rider? Are you a MSF Rider coach or other training program instructor (Lee Parks or ??) I am the Squadron MSR and Mentor. No training yet, but several of the other MSR's are MSF or Harley trained.

What is your unit support like at the CO, BN, BDE? Over the last 8 years, there has been a great level of support from all 5 Sq commanders, about half our our group commanders rode and even one of our wing commanders. We had one our MAJCOM Vice Commander ride with us for the 2 year he was here.

Does your unit program still require SM's to wear the High Viz vest even though DOD and the Army has removed the requirement? That is a loaded questions. LEGALLY, but the AFI no we are not required. HOWEVER, there is an unpublished (and thus not legal) supplement that says to wear it.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Mar 18 at 2015 7:48 PM

2015-03-18T19:48:47-04:00

I don't ride currently. My bike was totalled when a civilian rear-ended me at a red light on Ft Belvoir when I "stopped suddenly."

The amount of bum scoop going around was insane. The amount of plain idiocy going around was insane.

I got turned away from the gate once, because I didn't have a vest on. Below is my race gear (which is reflective). Draped over the left shoulder (right side of picture) is the reflective vest I was required to buy so I could go on base. They didn't care about the reflective strips... just that it was Yellow or Orange.... They also would have accepted ANY colored PT Belt.

Response by SGM Erik Marquez made Mar 19 at 2015 5:00 PM

2015-03-19T17:00:39-04:00

Here is the Fort Hood III Corps Motorcycle Policy letter
http://www.hood.army.mil/leaders/policies/Corps/new/5_Motorcycle_Safety.pdf

Response by Sgt Sasha Cruz made Mar 19 at 2015 7:49 PM

2015-03-19T19:49:58-04:00

My husband is not on RP, so I'll answer for him. At his unit they have a riding club. Each month they have a safety/mentorship meeting and after they take half a day to go riding. It's supported by the command and the Marines really enjoy it.

Response by WO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 19 at 2015 8:23 PM

2015-03-19T20:23:20-04:00

For my unit, after we got back from the last two deployments, we had a refresher course within a few day of our redeployments, before we could ride our motorcycles. A lot of the guys were mad, but I got a lot out of it, and was happy to get the practice before I took my wife out on the back. The morning of the training was all classroom, BRC refresher type information, and the afternoon was all lanes to practice corning, and things like that. It was really good to get the refresher training, and I was very thankful for it. Plus, it's easy to get up for work, when you are going to ride all day. I greatly encourage any redeploying unit to mandate the refresher training. It's a fun, and safe way to reintroduce Service Members back into riding after being away for so long.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 2 at 2015 7:52 PM

2015-04-02T19:52:40-04:00

I'm the master rider/mentor and the Commander for the 268th Signal Company, 504th BFSB at Ft Hood.

I was the defacto master rider for about a year since I was the only rider in the Company, and now we have three riders including my self. I conduct a check ride monthly with my guys and we do inspections monthly or every 3-4 day weekend ICW the "cage" POV inspections.

My Company is a bit odd in that we do not have a BN HQ, we report directly to the BDE HQ. However, when any of the BN's have check rides I have my guys tag along, and it allows another master rider to check me.

Any of my Soldiers who want to take the BRC I enroll. They will realize within the first day or two if motorcycle riding is for them or not, and I just like to allow everyone the opportunity who wants it. I have taken the MSBRC on post and prior to owning a sport bike the ARC via Texas motor sports. I've been riding about 4 years and ~10,000 miles.

I normally ride 3-4 days out of the week to and from Post.

I ride:
2004 Honda Shadow VLX
2015 Ducati Monster 821

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2015 5:36 AM

2015-12-03T05:36:01-05:00

I can speak on behalf of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan.

I have been the 18th Wing Safety Mentor and 18 Communications Squadron Unit Rep for four years now. Also am a RiderCoach certified and actively delivering BRC, BRC2, ARC, and MSRC. In addition to MSF curriculum, I host Okinawa-wide advanced riding clinics hosted on locally created tracks on military installations across the island of Okinawa working with both our installation safety office and Marine Corps Installation Pacific Safety Office members.

Kadena Air Base does not require the wear of high viz or reflective garments.