Humphreys RSO Bike Giveaway ensures mobility, supports community

Photo By Sgt. Matthew Marcellus | CAMP HUMPHREYS, Republic of Korea - A Humphreys community member rolls a free bicycle that he chose down to the registration booth during the 2nd Annual Area III USAG Humphreys Religious Support Office (RSO) Community Bicycle Giveaway here, March 6. The RSO hosted the giveaway with the assistance of military police from across Humphreys, providing the opportunity for community members to select from approximately 100 impounded and abandoned bicycles and register them as their own. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Matthew Marcellus)  

CAMP HUMPHREYS, 41, SOUTH KOREA

03.09.2021

Story by Spc. Matthew Marcellus 

USAG Humphreys

By: Spc. Matthew Marcellus / USAG-Humphreys Public Affairs Office

CAMP HUMPHREYS, Republic of Korea – Eyes widened with excitement and anticipation as the 2nd Annual Area III USAG Humphreys Religious Support Office (RSO) Community Bicycle Giveaway commenced, drawing in community members from across Humphreys with the offer of a free bicycle here, March 6.

The Humphreys RSO hosted the event, along with the participation of volunteers from across Humphreys, who helped set up the event, organize community members following United States Forces Korea COVID-19 precautions and facilitate a registration agreement necessary for community members taking a bicycle.

“We’re conducting a community bicycle giveaway to give back to the community and to police up a lot of the abandoned bikes that are found,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Wait, the operations Noncommissioned Officer in Charge for the USAG Humphreys Provost Marshall Office. “The single staff sergeants and below don’t necessarily have the opportunity to get vehicles to drive around, as they need to have an exception to policy to get around that. Humphreys is not the smallest installation, so getting around here is a lot easier if you have some sort of mobile transportation.”

Soldiers, families and community members lined up, some even several hours early, for the chance to select a bike from among a group of abandoned bicycles impounded by the military police.

“I think having a bike to get around would be important, especially with all of the cars and traffic here,” said Dinah Barry, a military spouse and community member who attended the giveaway with her two children. “It’s also very scenic in a lot of the areas where we live off-base, so it would be nice just to ride our bikes around to enjoy them.”

A critical stipulation of receiving a bicycle was the registration agreement that participants had to sign, stating that they would register their new bike with the Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) office, at Maude Hall, within 10 days. The DBIDS office would then give a registration number and sticker that participants must affix to their bicycle or risk receiving a ticket and losing the bike to re-impoundment.

“Just make sure you guys register your bikes, because if they don't have the registration tag affixed to the bike, any of them can be pulled off of the road,” said Wait. “It’s like a license plate for a car, so if you get your bike stolen and we can run that number, we can actually find out who stole your bike if they try to re-register the bike.”

The bike giveaway is one of many events organized and put on by garrison assets to help support the greater Humphreys community, many of whom are separated from their families and friends for extended periods. Such events provide unique opportunities for Soldiers, families and community members to participate in and support, helping to build and fortify the resilient and robust atmosphere of Humphreys.

“There’s a lot of good information here,” said Barry. “Thank you for this giveaway. It’s great to see and feel the support to the community and the Soldiers, especially being overseas and away from family. It’s a really good asset to have.”

• Date Taken: 03.09.2021
• Date Posted: 03.08.2021 20:54
• Story ID: 390877
• Location: CAMP HUMPHREYS, 41, KR