Photo By David Poe | Chief Warrant Officer 4 Thomas Nagies, right, talks riding with a Soldier, while Roger...... read more read more
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According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data, more than 5,200 motorcycle riders were killed in accidents in 2016. Soldiers and civilians from the 1st Armored Division G-4 and Safety sections held a spot motorcycle inspection station at Global Reach gate on East Fort Bliss July 18. The event was to remind Soldier-riders of their safety training and regulated responsibilities while on the road, as well as shape future unit motorcycle training programs.
“These inspections raise awareness of the problems,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Thomas Nagies, 1st AD motorcycle program coordinator. “It gives them ‘command emphasis.’ Once the inspections are done, I’ll write up a report and it will go to the chains of command and it identifies, (within their units), ‘these are the problems you have,’ and how they can act on them.”
Soldiers who ride motorcycles must comply with Army Safety Program mandates and Fort Bliss Standing Order 07, which includes required training, protective gear and vehicle condition, as well as other things, before Soldiers are permitted to hit the road. The 1st AD’s program is managed so that all Soldiers have a motorcycle mentor within their respective battalions to encourage continuous learning opportunities and a culture of making good decision while riding.
“Each brigade, down to the individual unit, is supposed to have a motorcycle mentor,” Nagies said. “Each Soldier is supposed to know their motorcycle mentor. These motorcycle mentors within their units are supposed to periodically look at their Soldiers … making sure their registrations haven’t lapsed, their insurance hasn’t lapsed, making sure the training hasn’t lapsed. When we find Soldiers with these discrepancies, we’ll bring it up to the units and say ‘Hey, you might want to check your program again.’”
On average, approximately 30 percent of riders coming through the gates were in some sort of violation of Standing Order 07, Nagies said. The infractions are usually minor, however, such as a forgotten motorcycle safety endorsement card, or recognizing a cracked taillight cover. Inspectors do have the authority to keep a Soldier off a bike if they find him in major violation of Standing Order 07, with punitive consequences within the Soldier’s unit.
Spot inspection points will continue to happen year round without announcement. For more information on the Army’s motorcycle safety program, visit https://safety.army.mil/OFF-DUTY/PMV-2-Motorcycles. For local information, Fort Bliss Soldier-riders should talk to their unit motorcycle mentor or go to https://www.bliss.army.mil/safety for more.
| Date Taken: | 07.18.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 07.26.2018 16:02 |
| Story ID: | 285850 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 611 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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