Table of contents. Winter Edition 5th SIG CMD (T) Motorcycle newsletter/magazine

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2 Winter Edition 5th SIG CMD (T) Motorcycle newsletter/magazine Hello all riders and potential riders! As part of the MMP we are producing this magazine for your edification. Some of you might have seen the last article in the fall/winter th Signal Commands ECHO magazine, I hope you enjoyed it. This edition's theme of focusing on new riders and what they need to know will have a few articles for you. Again I ask that if you have experience that you want to share or areas to focus on please contact me. The 3rd edition will focus on types of motorcycles as well as helmets. SFC Brandt Table of contents Road Rage P. 3 Regulations? What does all this nonsense mean? P. 6 A Leaders Guide to MMP P. 9 Questions/Answers P. 12 2

3 We have all been victims in one way or another. We witnessed near misses or experienced hits, slides, wrecks or bad driving in general. We ve seen, some of us first hand; what road rage can do or cause. Surely if you haven t seen it first-hand then you have heard stories. Most of us have that friend who was cut off or almost run off the road; and then proceeds to do something stupid like kick the side of the car or try to break the cars side mirror. So how do we avoid escalating the situation? How do we maintain control from doing something stupid? How do we keep the person in front or behind calm or less irritated? How do you stay ALIVE? There are two sides to the road rage situation. First we have the driver/rider who is causing the rage to take place whether intentional or not. Then we have the frustrated driver/rider who is enraged whether intentional or not. It s a matter of attitude what happens next and this might be the most important thing, what you do next could defuse the situation entirely. First let s get one thing clear. Not everyone on the road is trying to kill you, as a matter of fact it is highly likely that they are just trying to get from point A to point B safely and sometimes quickly. In most cases drivers/riders who perform a maneuver that would set off road rage was done by accident or necessity for example, moving out of a lane to avoid a blown tire, perhaps their wife is giving birth; fact is you don t know. If you can learn to empathize with the other driver you may realize there was something behind why they did what they did. R o a d - R a g e Ownership, if you find yourself lashing out at other drivers frequently then likely you are the problem. You may have stressors in your life contributing to your behavior on the road. Sleep can be a major factor which causes irritability leading to bad judgements. The amount of stress can tense your body up and also cause you to lash out at other drivers. A few controlled breaths and focusing on calming yourself can aid you to reduce your tension. 3

4 Road Rage Continued Avoidance, sounds simple right but we all know you can t just avoid bad drivers. What you can do is build situations which reduce the chance of road rage occurring. You can give breathing room between the cars in front of you which reduces the stress of that driver you re following. Most drivers feel that motorcyclists tailgate and most times they are right. You don t need a brake check done on you when it s a situation that s easily avoided. Escalation happens most times by an action and reaction between two drivers/riders. This leads fast into road rage which can lead into injury or death. So what to do when someone does something stupid and continues to do so? Simple, let it go. It s not worth your life, career or money. If you wear a video recording system great, but don t scream at the other driver that you have it on tape. Below are some simple rules to follow when someone is trying to get your goat. Protect yourself first. First rule yes, be safe! If a driver approaches you at a stop be prepared to go (unless it s the cops as they probably want to talk). Don t provoke other drivers, why would you do this anyway? You go two wheels they got four! Don t make eye contact, yeah I know we wear helmets but posture and body language can infuriate those who are already hot under the collar. Speaking of eyes, keep them on the road. Again you might be the problem. Stay calm. Getting mad helps no one and reduces your ability to effectively handle your bike Parking spaces aren t worth fighting over. Seriously, we ride bikes so it s not that big of a deal. Give them some distance and no I don t mean punching it to 150 to get ahead of them cause now you have a ticketed off driver behind you and your on a bike. It s not like you can take a hit very well. Diffuse the situation, a friendly my bad type of hand gesture can reduce tensions even though you re not at fault. Park it. If all else fails just park the bike and take a breather, get a coke, smoke, do push-ups anything to take your mind off what was happening. So what do we want to avoid doing? Well here is a list of things I would recommend NOT doing and if you are doing these things its best to start practicing the things to de-escalate now. Aggressive gestures, flipping the bird or similar gestures isn t going to help your situation. Flashing your lights, honking the horn these methods are meant to warn other drivers of hazards ahead or alarm drivers of dangerous situations. Retaliation, it s not your job to teach them a lesson. (If things get that bad pull over and call the cops) 4

5 Road Rage continued Eye contact, staring them down or using body language to communicate harm is not helping you. Confrontation, yeah this is a bad one. If you and the other driver/rider stops to talk with each other it is likely to end with someone on the ground. Pulling a weapon, let s face it. Pulling a weapon leads to bad things happening. About 4 years ago I was riding home in uniform from my base. Out of the gate there is a sharp right turn which I enjoyed leaning on that led me to the highway. While lining up to negotiate this turn a construction pickup truck suddenly pulls into my lane beside my front tire. I had to brake hard, right as I was about to lean into the corner. While I made it out of the corner without incident I decided to do something stupid. I got in front of the driver and showed him what I thought of him. This turned out poorly as it only escalated the situation causing an exchange of bad driving between the both of us. When we arrived at the first traffic light I realized what I was doing and decided to de-escalate the situation. I waved in a my bad and he raised his hand in a my bad way and it was safe driving after that. My point? Had someone informed me of what I just informed you of I definitely would have made different choices that day. I am not lying when I say I could have been killed because of my involvement in the escalation of that situation. When it s all said and done after a road rage event, its best to pull over, count to 10 and check yourself and your bike. If everything is still safe continue on. If you were hit then call the cops. It s not worth pushing on right next to the driver/rider you re fighting with. Know yourself and learn to let things go. Understand that your life is worth staying safe for because you do want to ride another day and people count on you. SFC Brandt 5

6 6 What does all this nonsense mean? So you took the plunge into motorcycle riding, you got your MSF course done but you still are unsure what s with all the regulatory guidance. Well you have come to the right place. Sit back, grab something to drink and prepare to be educated on the Army and DOD guidance pertaining to riding. First let s identify the BLUF, bare requirements to ride in Europe. You need a motorcycle endorsement on your state side license. You must pass the drivers test and be issued a USAREUR license with a motorcycle endorsement of the appropriate code (Class 1 if you have a bike over 250cc). Army in Europe Pam You must wear the proper protective equipment: helmet that meets ANSI standard Z90-1 or Host nation requirements ECE (AEP 190-1, AEP , DODI and AR ), long sleeves, long pants, over the ankle shoes/boots, gloves and a reflective vest or jacket. Your motorcycle must pass the registration process to include a 95 DB test of your exhaust pipes. (AEP 190-1) A valid within 5 years MSF advanced course card as well as a MSF basic course card. (courses found here at: Next let s talk bad practices. Mandatory rides: If you re anything like me you don t like group riding. I don t like the fact that I don t know what the riders skills are ahead of me and behind me. Group riding can be dangerous and should be avoided unless the riders involved want to build their skill at group riding. Additionally Commanders should be aware that this could be an IG complaint as you cannot force

7 Regulations continued riders to use their own gas or equipment to facilitate Army training (which is what you are doing if made mandatory). Unless the unit provides funding for it. Check rides are not mandatory per regulatory guidance. It s nice to go above and beyond but check rides do little to assist in motorcycle safe riding, I would go as far as to say they are dangerous. Individuals riding knowing they are being evaluated at every turn, stop and decision will concentrate on that and not on the road. For clarification, check ride meaning I will check to see how you ride to make sure you can ride safe before you are allowed to operate your motorcycle unsupervised. If they are licensed and have not shown any cause to remove privileges then you shouldn t assume they don t ride safe. While on the topic of group rides, riding abreast is definitely a bad practice. Sharing a lane with another rider gives you little room to maneuver. The best practice is to ride staggered with at least a 2 second gap between riders. Some suggest a 2 second gap between you and the rider in front of you, I am here to tell you that s a bad practice. If something does go bad you have no room to maneuver as the guy beside you to your staggered front/back are only 1 second away so I ask you, where are you going to go? T-CLOCS can be a great tool or a bad one. If you re using the T-CLOCS to deadline an individual s motorcycle you need to understand their bike has already passed inspection and is licensed for the road (same as a POV). If you spot a dangerous flaw on the motorcycle then suggest they not ride the motorcycle without repairing it (the commander can enforce them not riding until its fixed). Unless you are a licensed motorcycle mechanic you should stick to the basics on the T-CLOCS. Ensure your helmet meets safety standards and that it fits your head properly, next edition we will cover this subject in depth. Before you modify your motorcycle you should talk to some experts first. Your friends, ebay, forums and people you meet at bike shows do not count as experts, motorcycle repair shops do count. Stunting, while I can understand how popping a wheelie or showing off with a stoppie can be a great way to impress your friends it does give every other rider out there a bad name not to mention its dangerous on open roads. Now that is all out of the way, let s break down what each regulations contain, starting with DOD guidance. DODI simply addresses general DOD traffic safety. Specifically to us it addresses Motorcycle Operator training and PPE. Here is where we find the 5 year rule for refresher training once we have met the requirement of the initial training (MSF Basic) then the intermediate training (BRC-2, Military Sportbike Riders Course or Advanced Riders Course/Experienced Riders Course). Enclosure 3 (page 18) further identifies requirements of all PPE (eye protection, foot protection, protective clothing) and specifically states the requirement of following the Host Nation (HN) helmet laws. Lastly, riders should be aware that on the same page this outlines the requirement that all motorcycles will have their headlights on at all times except when prohibited by state, local or HN laws. AR is your place to go for motorcycle safety requirements. Chapter 11-7 speaks on drivers education and in paragraphs 5 and 6 motorcycle training talks on vehicle safety inspections and directs that MC inspections will include verification of MC rider training, licensing, and PPE. Vehicle inspections will include verification of driver license, insurance, and registration. It also states that inspections will be conducted every 6 months goes over licensing, the Progressive Motorcycle Program (PPM, your MSF courses), motorcycle equipment, rider 7

8 Regulations continued protection, recreational vehicles and Can-Am motorcycles. It is in 11-9 where we find the meat of our requirements. Army in Europe Pamphlet is the drivers handbook and examination manual for Germany. Section IV is a study guide for the motorcycle test. Army in Europe Pamphlet outlines traffic codes, chapter 5-6 covers motorcycles and the requirement to wear a reflective PT style vest. Appendix C covers inspection stations (registration), C-18 specifically covers motorcycles. C-24 is where you find the rule which states that motorcycles or automobiles will be inspected for noise levels which will not exceed 95 decibels. ALARCT messages, well if you see these in SOP, Policy letters or what not it s time to inform the POC that almost all ALARCTs (at time of publishing) are expired and should not be referenced any longer. The only ALARACT that is currently active is ALARACT 010/2005. While this ALARACT really doesn t say anything that the regulations don t cover it does make a point to tell Commanders they have options to correct undesirable behaviors in riders to include chapter, article 15 and courts-martial. Keep in mind however, that this is from 2005 and some of the information in it is already outdated. Other regulations include AR (Motor Vehicle Traffic Supervision), AR (Private Organizations on Department of the Army Installations) which outlines what is needed to begin a MMP as a club, DA PAM (Army Safety Program), and your local policy letters and SOPs. Other information: so these resources I am about to list are for informational purposes only as some of these are outdated with wrong information. I only list these as they do still contain some good information. As follows: Motorcycle safety Guide, Motorcycle Safety Handbook. These are usually found through search engines on the internet. Lastly, for recent and a large repository of information go the Army safety page at Knowing the regulations is a great tool for correcting those who don t ride. Having a good understanding of what you can and can t do keeps you from questioning what you can get away with when riding. This program is built on safety and meant to keep you safe so remember that when deciding whether or not to wear your gear when you ride. SFC Brandt 8

9 A Leader s Guide to MMP By COL. KEVIN CHRISTENSEN Force Support Division, Force Management, Application and Support The Joint Staff, J8 Washington, D.C (From Knowledge 1 May 2015) MMP.aspx Commanders, does the idea of having a newly arrived Soldier to your unit one who just redeployed and bought a powerful new motorcycle send a shiver down your spine? As leaders, we all grimace at reports of Soldiers dying in motorcycle accidents and wonder how we can help prevent the next fatality. As a former battalion commander and motorcycle mentor, I feel very strongly that engaged leaders can make a difference in preventing motorcycle accidents. I also believe an effective motorcycle mentorship program is a commander s best tool for mitigating risks to their riders. As a commander, your first step is to establish or adjust your MMP. To do that, you ll need to decide up front who will be your senior mentor and what type of program you ll want. Your senior mentor will be your special staff officer, running the program according to your guidelines. They don t have to be the most senior rider in your unit, but they need to be someone who has earned your trust. They should be experienced riders with good safety records who are well respected by your unit s riders. The type of bike they ride is irrelevant. What is essential is they have the time to devote themselves to the program and possess a passion for leading and training Soldiers. There are three fundamental components to an MMP knowledge, skills and attitude. Anything you can do to increase your riders capabilities in these areas will provide a corresponding reduction in risks. Your garrison commander should have an existing Motorcycle Safety Foundation program offering the MSF s Basic and Experienced RiderCourse. As a commander, you can feel confident these courses will go a long way toward giving your riders the necessary knowledge and skills for safe riding. However, it is the motorcycle mentor s unique role to identify and change the riders attitudes that lead to high-risk behaviors. What does it take to modify a rider s behavior? Well, the good news is the same skills that make an effective leader in your unit also makes for an effective mentor. Pairing new riders with mentors provides you and the mentor an opportunity to assess the rider s knowledge, attitude and skills. Since you, as the commander, have to sign the new rider s risk assessment, ask your mentor what you can do to mitigate the risk. This might mean keeping the new rider with a mentor until certain milestones are met (maybe a couple of rides under increasingly demanding conditions). Some new riders may not be happy with that, yet it might be precisely what they need. To help identify at-risk riders, here are some red flags you can look for: Behavioral issues particularly a sense of indestructibility. Soldiers who lack maturity and sound judgment when they re not riding will likely be the same on their motorcycle. They often take unnecessary risks such as not wearing the proper personal protective equipment. 9

10 A Leader s Guide to MMP continued Acts of indiscipline. If a Soldier with a history of indiscipline shows up as the proud owner of a new motorcycle, then you probably have trouble brewing. Unwillingness or resentment toward participating in MSF courses and mentorship programs. Those who push back the hardest are probably the ones who need it the most. Junior (not necessarily by age, but by experience) riders trying to ride powerful machines that are well above their skill level. Soldiers returning to riding after a break of several years who want to pick up where they left off. Such riders, if they ride with a group of more skilled riders, may extend themselves beyond their current abilities. Mentor responsibilities Your senior mentor should maintain a training folder for each of your riders for the two of you to review. I recommend each rider packet have the following items: Driver license with motorcycle endorsement (check that it is valid) Copy of the rider s MSF card Proof of insurance Risk assessment and mitigation plan with appropriate-level commander signature Copy of MSF motorcycle inspection checklist (T-CLOCS) completed by the mentor A counseling that indicates riders have read and understand your policy concerning safe motorcycle operation Understand your riders Even if you don t ride, you need to understand what goes on inside the heads of the motorcycle riders in your command. They re not a homogeneous group by any measure. However, rather than grouping them by what they ride sport bikes, cruisers, touring, etc. group them by why they ride. Those who ride to hone their skills. Your mentorship program may not be what these riders are looking for. They want more performance from their bike and more skills in their kit bag. These riders may ride on the road or on a closed track. For them, riding is a sport that you train to become better. Those who ride as a means of transportation. These are your get-back-and-forth-to-work kind of riders. They may ride throughout the year and in inclement weather. When these riders take longer trips, they tend to do so by themselves or in small groups. Those who ride for the social aspect of being a motorcycle rider. These riders enjoy getting out and seeing the countryside with other like-minded riders. They relish the sense of freedom that comes from riding and love feeling a part of something that is more than just two wheels and an engine. As a commander, which group should you be concerned with? The answer, of course, is all of them. Each has their own unique risk factors that motorcycle mentors can help you mitigate. And don t forget your dirt bike riders. You may not even know who they are since their bikes generally do not show up at the workplace. Selling the MMP to your riders What can you, as a commander, do to encourage your riders to participate in an MMP? 10

11 A Leader s Guide to MMP continued Establish a sense of inclusiveness ensure your MMP is designed to benefit all of your riders. Including family members may increase participation in some groups. Build an incentive program that rewards safe riders. Encourage riders to buy high-quality, effective PPE and wear it. Reinforce the role of your designated motorcycle mentor with subordinate leaders in your command. Send out a policy letter explaining your command policies regarding participation in the MMP. Don t overengineer your program. Make it simple enough for your mentors to execute. Team with your garrison commander. If you don t have the right person in your unit to meet your program s mentorship requirements, your garrison may have military or civilian riders that can help. Encourage your riders to establish a club. This can be a private organization that operates on your installation. A good riding club will enhance the image of riders and serve as a good source of developing safe riding behaviors through informal coaches and mentors. Don t restrict your riders from riding unless you think their risk is so high that it can t be mitigated through training and mentorship. Just as it is in any military unit, meaningful repetition is the key to developing skills that make both Soldiers and motorcycle riders successful. Don t pick on your sport bike riders. They may be your most highly skilled riders and are also likely to have (and wear) good PPE. Worry more about riders on machines beyond their training and skills. Focus on your riders attitudes and behaviors. Bottom Line Protecting Soldiers is commander business. Establishing an MMP with a wisely chosen mentor can help you mitigate the risks of your Soldiers who ride, whether or not you ride. However, as a rider, supporting a mentorship program allows me to do two things I already enjoy riding motorcycles and leading Soldiers. Leaders who ensure their riders have a good mentorship program can, and will, make a big difference in saving lives in their commands. 11

12 Are group rides mandatory? Short answer Yes and No as it s a two part answer. Each unit is suggested to have an active Motorcycle mentorship program. One way is to conduct training is through group rides. Can the unit make it mandatory to attend training, Yes. Can they make the ride itself mandatory, No. You are paying for your own gas so unless the unit is fronting the cost of the gas and maintenance on your bike they cannot make the ride mandatory. If in doubt contact your local IG office. Does my unit have to have a MMP? It s the Commanders discretion if they want a program or not. Mentors typically step forward and ask the Commander how they can help, some get asked to help and others get tasked to help. However it goes, the only way to get a program that you like is to be part of the program. What gear is required? As stated in the article its best to look into your own SOPs, regulations and guidance. The Army produces a Motorcycle safety guide (from the U.S. Army combat readiness center) which states: To operate a motorcycle on a military installation, riders are required to wear proper personal protective equipment (PPE). Department of Defense Instruction (DODI) , para ,2, and 3 define the requirements. The US Army Combat Readiness Center offers a poster illustrating proper wear of PPE at: What do the codes on a motorcycle tire mean? If you re referring to the 4 digit codes on the side wall after the words DOT then this is the serial number which represents the week and year of its production so 4510 would be the 45th week of Your tire has a load index rating in a 2 digit number such as 63 which would allow 600 LBs, check your tires load rating as well as other useful information using the MIC tire Guide pamphlet found here DUTY/PMV-2/TRAINING/Standard/MIC_Tire_Guide_2012V1.pdf Have more questions? Ask SFC Brandt or your local Motorcycle Mentor! 5th SIG CMD SFC Brandt (john.w.brandt6.mil@mail.mil) 2nd SIG BDE SFC Brown (mark.a.brown14.mil@mail.mil) 12