Photo By Sgt. Hubert Delany | Sgt. James Berkley, a human resource specialist with the Headquarters Support Company,...... read more read more
Subscribe
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C -- A line of motorcycles and cars sit behind a white chalk line. The roaring of the waiting engines go from a mild hum to a car-shaking roar, which competes with the noise of the spectators as everyone anticipates the start of the race. Spectators on both sides of the road waited for the drag race to begin.
“It’s one of the best times I’ve had,” said Sgt. James Berkley, a human resource specialist with the Headquarters Support Company, XVIII Airborne Corps. “But it’s easy to want to race out on the streets, being safe and being supervised and to be professional lets Soldiers be aware of their surroundings.”
Berkley said he first learned the safety skills all Soldiers should know before riding a motorcycle from the Basic Riders Course.
The course, which meets the requirements set in the Progressive Motorcycle Program in Army Regulation 385-10 (The Army Safety Program), is a mandatory requirement for Soldiers before riding motorcycles.
The summer months are here and riding a motorcycle is a great way to express freedom. The tips and techniques that Soldiers must learn from required safety courses keep Soldiers safe and prepared on the road.
Soldiers who take these courses will learn how to brake properly, the documentation required to ride, and the correct personal protective equipment to wear while riding like a Department of Transportation approved helmet and eye protection.
When Berkley reflects on biking, he says that the lessons he’s learned have given him the tools, to not only safely ride motorcycles to the Army standard, but also attention-to-detail the course has taught him has helped to make him a better professional.
“Motorcycles are dangerous,” said Berkley. “You really have to pay attention and be aware of your surroundings. A lot of times accidents aren’t caused by the rider’s but the people around. Be aware of your surroundings and never expect people to do the right thing. You have to be cautious at all times because the person might not see you coming.”
There are four motorcycle safety courses that can be taken at Fort Bragg — the Basic Riders Course, the Experienced Rider Course, the Military Sport Bike Rider Course and the Motorcycle Refresher Training.
If you are interested in riding a motorcycle, contact your unit’s motorcycle mentor or safety officer.
| Date Taken: | 05.19.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 12.06.2016 11:40 |
| Story ID: | 216568 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 203 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Freedom on Wheels: Motorcycle Safety Tips, by SGT Hubert Delany, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
