Black Jacks ride for fun, safety

Photo By 1st Sgt. Justin A. Naylor | Sgt. 1st Class Richard Glovas, a Rathburn, Iowa, native and a maintenance platoon sergeant for Company F, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, rides past a group of soldiers putting on their personal protective equipment and checking their bikes before going on a motorcycle mentorship ride through central-Texas Sept. 2.  

FORT HOOD, TX, UNITED STATES

09.02.2010

Story by Spc. Justin A. Naylor 

2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

FORT HOOD, Texas - About fifty riders from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, braved possible stormy weather to take part in a motorcycle mentorship ride through the lush back country of Central Texas, Sept. 2.

Experienced riders from throughout Black Jack worked with junior riders to help build on basic motorcycling skills and develop good riding habits.

According to Sgt. 1st Class Richard Glovas, from Rathburn, Iowa, who organizes the brigade’s motorcycle mentorship program, this gave younger riders an opportunity to familiarize themselves with what the experienced guys do on the bikes, and it gives them a chance to work on their skills on the road rather than receiving classes on the right way to ride.

The riders started out on Fort Hood and went through Copperas Cove and down to Oakalla, Texas before turning and heading toward Stillhouse Hollow Lake and eventually ending up at Joker’s Ice House in Killeen, with mentors giving soldiers advice at stops along the way.

Even before the ride started, mentors were checking equipment and the status of bikes to make sure everyone was safe to ride.

“Safety is our number one concern,” said Glovas.

If we can teach small groups how to ride safely, they can pass it on to those that they ride with, he explained.

“It’s actually helped me out a lot,” said Staff Sgt. Travis Britt, a Victoria, Texas, native who’s been riding for about three years. “I’m learning about riding with small groups and riding different routes.”

“[My unit] started doing mentorship rides when I got my license and it’s helped me the whole way,” he continued.

Since the rides began, Glovas has noticed a decrease in motorcycle-related casualties in his unit.

According to Glovas, some people think that riding a motorcycle is like riding a bike, that it is something you never forget. But these aren’t just bikes; they have a lot of horsepower under them, and motorcyclists have to keep up their skills in order to ride safely.

“As long as they keep up these rides, I’m confident that casualties will continue to decrease,” he said.

• Date Taken: 09.02.2010
• Date Posted: 09.08.2010 17:19
• Story ID: 55918
• Location: FORT HOOD, TX, US