Courtesy Photo | FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- (Front) Sgt. Maj. Robert J. Mendiguren, the operations sergeant...... read more read more
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by Maj. Sonise Lumbaca
1st Sustainment Command (Theater) Public Affairs
FORT BRAGG, N.C.-Each year hundreds of Soldiers become statistics in vehicular incidents throughout the United States and various other locations in the world. Even more dangerous are Soldiers who get into motorcycle accident where there is little to no chance of avoiding an injury, or worse, after a collision. Riding during bad weather and road conditions also play a role in these numbers.
"Eighteen to 25 year olds are four times likely to get killed in motorcycle or vehicular accidents than getting killed in combat," said Rick Shannon, one of Fort Bragg's motorcycle safety instructors. "They are dying here more than in combat."
The Army is willing to assume risk for Soldiers in combat, but back here it is not an option, Shannon said.
One method the Army is using to combat this challenge is the motorcycle safety course, which is mandatory for all Soldiers on Fort Bragg to take if they desire to ride their motorcycles on post. The other is motorcycle mentorship program.
"The [motorcycle program] is an incentive put forth by the Chief of Staff of the Army to improve the safety of our Soldiers on the road," said Command Sgt. Maj. Luis Lopez, the command sergeant major for the 1st Sustainment Command (Theater) and director for Fort Bragg's Freedom Riders Association. "Our goal is to promote motorcycle safety and a program that inexperienced and young riders can join to gain additional knowledge and support when traveling on the roads."
The FRA, organized by the 1st TSC, became the first official motorcycle mentorship program on Fort Bragg and the third in the total Army on Nov. 7; the other two programs are out of Texas and Korea, said Sgt. Maj. Robert J. Mendiguren, the operations sergeant major for the 1st TSC and assistant director of the FRA.
"[The 1st TSC] felt that it was important to get this program up and running on Fort Bragg," Lopez said who has been riding motorcycles on and off for the past 14 years. "We want to get senior and experienced riders to help these younger and inexperienced riders to ride safely."
One of many senior and experienced riders, Master Sgt. James C. Brown, the communications sergeant major for the 1st TSC has been riding since he was 12 years old.
"This mentorship is unit cohesion. It is something for us to do together and increase awareness of motorcycle safety," Brown said. "Many of our younger riders need a group of experienced riders who can take them under their wing and guide them. There are a few trick to the trade that they can benefit from."
It seems that younger riders are more susceptible to injuries in riding than experienced riders, Brown said. "A lot of the times, young (Soldiers) come off deployment and buy new motorcycles and across the Army they seem to have a higher percentage of fatalities."
This wasn't the case for one Soldier who decided to not only by a used motorcycle but also recognized the importance of joining the mentorship program.
Sgt. Gabriel Cook, a driver for the 1st TSC's operations has been riding his motorcycle for only two months.
"I had the opportunity to try something new and I've always wanted to ride motorcycles," Cook said. "I will get the benefit of knowledge from the experienced riders while having a good time also."
Cook believes that enthusiastic Soldiers purchase new motorcycles with engines that might be too big because they don't know any better or they don't want to be teased by their peers.
"This is a big mistake," Cook said. "When I purchased my bike, I went with a smaller engine because I know that I am a new rider."
As he gains experience, Cook is opting to purchase a motorcycle with a bigger engine.
Members of the 1st TSC, exercised Fort Bragg's first mentorship ride Nov. 9 to Kendall Johnson Customs, a custom motorcycle builder in Winston Salem, N.C., in order to raise funds to augment cost for their junior enlisted to attend their holiday ball in December.
"There are a lot of bike riders in the unit and on Fort Bragg," said Mendiguren who has ridden motorcycles for the past 33 years. "It took a few months and a lot of paperwork to get the program going and the word out, but today's bike ride is a testament to all the hard work that went into bringing this program to life.
For the Kendall Johnson Customs ride, 30 active duty and retired military, experienced and inexperienced riders took part in the ride.
The amount of participants today demonstrates how important the program is
to Soldiers, Mendiguren said.
There is more to this motorcycle mentorship program than just riding. Besides sponsoring group rides that promotes safety, the FRA hopes to build a database of riders on Fort Bragg in order to get a sense of the number of young and or inexperienced riders. Additionally, the group hopes to establish quarterly rider safety classes, refresher riding courses and fundraiser rides to raise money for the Fisher House, toys runs and holiday meals.
A bonus to taking part in the program includes receiving a membership logos that can be worn on outer riding garments and long sleeve t-shirts.
"We will be having a membership drive here shortly and hope that more Soldiers come out and join," Mendiguren said.
"When you read the casualty reports of motorcycles, Fort Bragg has one of the lowest," Shannon said. "But we can further prevent these numbers with this program."
From the experienced and inexperienced to the young and not so young, all agree that there is a need for this mentorship program and hope that the membership grows.
"It is a good idea to join," Cook said. "I encourage it because it is always safer to ride in a group and with people who know what they are doing.
| Date Taken: | 11.14.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 11.14.2006 11:10 |
| Story ID: | 8276 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 1,551 |
| Downloads: | 1,054 |
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